Sometimes, says Macpherson, giving someone a copy of your résumé can look desperate. For example, you don't want to hand out copies of your résumé at trade shows. Instead, give people a ½ to one-page professional bio that states what you do, what makes you unique, and where you've worked.

"A bio makes for a softer introduction," says Macpherson. "It opens up a conversation."

The benefit of a bio, he adds, is that you can shape how you present yourself. "A résumé forces you to work in a chronology. In a bio, if there's a job you'd rather not talk about, you don't need to mention it. You can talk only about those aspects of your professional background that sell you the best, and that is a tremendously powerful tool," says Macpherson.

Your professional bio should not read like the dull executive bios you find on corporate websites, which summarize leaders' careers, the titles they've held, the organizations that employed them in the past, and end with the degrees they hold.

The first paragraph of your bio should serve as a branding or positioning statement, says Macpherson, explaining what you do, what you're known for. The second paragraph can encapsulate your career, emphasizing accomplishments you've achieved as opposed to the places you've worked. The third paragraph could summarize your education. A final paragraph could describe your leadership style, says Macpherson.