Q: Roland, my client wants to add a lot of personal information to her website. What’s your recommendation?

A: The harsh reality is that your prospects primarily want to know whether ‘you’ can do the job well. And they don’t want to waste time sifting though irrelevant details. They need info that assures them of your competency (i.e., experience, certifications, testimonials, photos) and makes them feel confident about the decision to hire you.

I don’t think there’s a competitive advantage by revealing more than the minimum amount of personal details. Some people like to publish everything about their lives under the guise of “transparency” and “authentic self.” I seriously disagree. If anything, posting too much online — whether on your website or social media — makes you more vulnerable to identity theft and scams. Plus, the tendency to overshare might make people think you are narcissistic and negatively skew their impression of you.

I recommend to never post details about family, names/ages of family members, travel while traveling (hey come rob my house while I’m out of town!), etc. It’s dangerous and irrelevant to the selling process. Instead share information of value to the prospect or community you are cultivating.

I hope that’s helpful. Please add your opinion in the comments below. Thanks.
-Roland