Put your business first this year with a profile that catches your customer’s eye — and wins more jobs. In 2017, we helped three pros transform their profiles from good to great. Here’s what they changed (and why it’s worked).
Better bio, more business.
The ‘About this pro’ section of your Thumbtack profile is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your customer, and give them a sense of what working with you will look like. Here’s what our makeover pros learned in the process of reworking their bios.
“My bio was long. I consolidated everything down to 3 key points. 1) When you hire me, you’re hiring a trained professional. 2) I use the highest quality equipment and the most recent techniques. 3) I love what I do. That should be enough to get a customer’s attention. The rest goes in my Q&A.”
—Rob Goldberg, East Bay Digital Sound
“The franchise marketing folks at MaidPro helped us write our bio in the beginning. These days we keep it short and sweet, a mix of the personal and professional. I want to tie myself to the brand, but also show off who we are as people.”
—Paige Rounds, MaidPro Wichita
“The emotion is going to happen at the ceremony — it’s a wedding! — I don’t have to overdo it in my bio. Now my ‘About this pro’ section really focuses on my qualifications and what the experience will be of working with me. I want to couples to know working with me goes beyond being easy — it’s also fun and emotionally fulfilling.”
—Kathleen Kraft, Wedding Officiant Kathleen “Sam” Kraft
Bio tip: Pros with bios under 600 words are hired 40 percent more on average than pros with longer bios.
For more examples of great bios, check out these 5 Perfect Thumbtack Profiles.
Professional headshots make a great first impression.
Pros with a headshot are at a major advantage when competing for jobs on Thumbtack. It’s the first thing a customer sees after submitting a request — their first clue about who you are and what you can offer. Here’s what the pros say.
“I grabbed the first decent photo I could find when getting set up on Thumbtack. It was taken from far away in low-resolution. The headshot I have now is infinitely better. I’m dressed professionally and the picture is crystal clear — it looks like a studio shot. I want to show my quality in everything customers see. My new headshot does that.”
—Rob Goldberg, East Bay Digital Sound
“When you’re attached to a huge franchise like I am, people don’t realize that the business is actually just me and my brother and a small cleaning staff. Now, seeing me, they can connect the dots. This is the person I talk to on the phone. Seeing a professional-looking face adds so much legitimacy.”
—Paige Rounds, MaidPro Wichita
“I want my photo to reflect my personality — both my sincerity and my fun side, but also my professionalism. I have the privilege of uniting two people as a job, my headshot should show that I take it seriously.”
—Kathleen Kraft, Wedding Officiant Kathleen “Sam” Kraft
Headshot tip: If you’re not sure what to wear in your photo, professional headshot photographer Tri Nguyen says you can’t go wrong with a clean, crisp polo shirt.
Check out these 10 Headshot Tips for taking a professional-looking profile photo from the comfort of your home.
Right answers, better customers.
You probably hear the same customer questions over and over again, day in and day out. Save yourself (and your customer) a lot of time — fill out your Thumbtack Q&A section. Here’s how Thumbtack’s makeover pros picked their questions and crafted their answers.
“My personality is to try to answer everything upfront and give customers as much to consider as possible. I still do in my new Q&A — it’s just easier to get through. You need to prove your worth in every way you can, especially if your prices are a little higher than the median. At the same time, you can’t make things too hard for the customer.”
—Rob Goldberg, East Bay Digital Sound
“We didn’t have any of the Q&A section completed before the makeover. Now we focus on showing people how we’re giving them value for their money, like details about the products we use and how our services stand apart.”
—Paige Rounds, MaidPro Wichita
“It’s important that my answers reflect who I am and how I work so they can relate to me. That I want to make their marriage more than just official in the eyes of the law but a memorable experience to last a lifetime. It’s also a good time to explain the details of my experience marrying couples, and to make it clear that I work with everyone — regardless of what you believe in or who you’re marrying.”
—Kathleen Kraft, Wedding Officiant Kathleen “Sam” Kraft
Q&A tip: Start by answering the three Q&A questions that you hear most and build out from there.
Here are a few things Top Pros wish they knew about filling out the Q&A section of their profile.
Examples that show your range.
The photos and videos on your Thumbtack profile tell a story about your work — the range, quality and types of jobs that you take on. Here’s how the pros decided what to include (and what to leave off) in their Thumbtack media sections.
“You have to include images of audiences having fun: a packed dance floor, people smiling, a happy bride and groom. My DJ equipment was a $35,000 investment — it’s what sets me apart from other DJs. I want hi-res photos that show it off and videos of the sound quality.”
—Rob Goldberg, East Bay Digital Sound
“I should have taken professional photos so much sooner. Now my photos are professional and high quality — customers connect that in their minds with the caliber of my cleanings. I get so many comments on the photos of us working, so many likes on social media. People feel like they know us now.”
—Paige Rounds, MaidPro Wichita
“I include photos of me officiating weddings and a couple pictures of just me with captions about who I am and what I like to do. I think it helps folks understand who I am as a person. I went back and made sure that all of my photos are captioned. Your photos are actually another good opportunity to tell your customer more about who you are and how you work.”
—Kathleen Kraft, Wedding Officiant Kathleen “Sam” Kraft
Media tip: Over 80 percent of pros who are hired on Thumbtack include at least one example of their past work.
Here are a few other things customers look for when deciding whether to hire a pro on Thumbtack.
