5 Little LinkedIn Tips That Make a Huge Impact
by Shannon F
You’ve probably read enough about the potential benefits of LinkedIn for making valuable connections and identifying sales opportunities. But are you optimizing your profile for success? Many salespeople understand the basics of LinkedIn, but they overlook little details that can make them stand out to a prospect or decision-maker.
We’ve come up with 5 important tips for transforming your LinkedIn profile and user experience. They may seem like small potatoes, but if you change every one of them, we promise you will have potatoes au gratin, or something equally tasty. Most importantly, you’ll be all set to drive sales with the best free professional tool on the web.
Put it in your customers’ own words. I have a LinkedIn connection who calls herself an Education Management Specialist. Chances are that I (as a stranger to the field of education management) am going to skip over her profile if I’m looking for a 9th grade English teacher, which is exactly what she is. Industry jargon is fine if you’re seeking a job in a specialized field or if you are settled into a non-sales job, like teaching. But if you are using your LinkedIn profile to find prospects and gain new business, it’s important to identify yourself using words that have meaning to your potential customers.
For example, instead of calling yourself a Business Communications Consultative Specialist, say “I help businesses on a budget upgrade their telecommunications tools,” or something of that nature. You’ll sound less intimidating and more relevant to the customer’s search.
Be visually consistent. Your LinkedIn picture is you at your last tailgate, your friends’ disembodied arms around your shoulders (you cropped them out). Your Google+ picture is so fuzzy even your parents couldn’t identify it as you, and the picture on the About Us section of your company’s website is 10 years old. Who are you, anyway?
Make sure the pictures on your LinkedIn profile, your company website, and any other social media pages you use for sales are the same. By the way, it’s not a bad idea to have a new portrait taken every couple of years, especially if you dramatically change your appearance. Your profile picture is a big part of the first impression you make, and branding yourself consistently and professionally is critical.
Feature at least one informational video in your profile. When prospects watch your video, they’ll feel like they’re meeting you in person. They can get a sense for what it would be like to work with you, and hopefully they’ll learn something from the information you share.
It’s not hard to make a video. Choose a relatively simple topic that customers often wonder about, and explain it in 5 minutes. You can get professional help with filming, editing, and producing this, and it’s certainly worth the money. But even a homemade video is a great way to showcase your expertise and help your prospects get to know you.
Include testimonials in the right place. Video testimonials are great if you can get them. Otherwise, ask happy customers for written testimonials. Keep these separate from your LinkedIn professional recommendations, which likely include supervisors and coworkers recommending you for future positions. Testimonials specifically related to the products and services you sell should instead be featured in the Summary section of your profile, where future customers will see them right away.
Be selective. Don’t jot off a recommendation for just anybody or endorse skills for contacts you barely know. Make your word count. Write thoughtful recommendations for people whose merits you can actually attest to. If someone asks you for an introduction to one of your LinkedIn connections, make sure you actually know both people in question before you agree.
This will ensure that the quality of your experience and presence on LinkedIn is not diluted with meaningless communications, connections that go nowhere, and endorsements that aren’t earned.
Want more LinkedIn insights? We are hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 20th, with LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth. Wayne is the author of the Amazon bestseller “The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success.” If you would like to attend, please register here.
