The good news is that more than 90% of salespeople have a LinkedIn profile. The bad news is that many of them haven’t done much more than create a very basic profile.
Don’t leave money on the table
Some salespeople leave a lot of money on the table when it comes to their LinkedIn profile. They don’t maximize their use of the space available on their profile, leaving out important information.
A complete LinkedIn profile is an efficient way to let people know who you are, how to contact you, your experience and credibility within your industry, and the value you bring to the workplace.
Use it as a personal website
Think of your LinkedIn profile as your own personal website. You provide information, such as your picture, title, the company you work for and your contact information. You also have the ability to add much more information, including a description of your skills, your credentials and many more options.
Create a compelling headline
A creative headline gives much more than your job title. It’s usually a good idea to create a descriptive message of how you deliver value to your customers. Instead of stating “Sales Representative,” it might be better to say, “Experienced Sales Rep with a Track Record of Over-delivering.”
Smile
There is a space in your profile for a picture. Try to add a headshot of yourself smiling. Being successful in business and being friendly are not mutually exclusive. Make sure you appear approachable.
Don’t pitch
It’s not a good idea to promote your product or service in the Status Update section of your LinkedIn profile. Prospects don’t want to log onto LinkedIn and be buried with sales pitches. They’re looking for information that will help them with specific concerns.
A good strategy is to post a link to an interesting article your network will see value in.
Highlight ‘Specialties’
Use the Specialties section to highlight what you do well. Think about how prospects will search for you and the types of categories they’ll be looking in. Build your Specialties around these points.
Describe your experience
Write complete descriptive explanations of your current and former positions. Make it easy for prospects to learn about you. Ask yourself, “What information about me would a prospect find that would indicate I’m an expert in my field?”
Sum it all up
Your summary gives you a chance to really explain who you are and why people should be interested in doing business with you. It’s a good idea to use keywords in your summary that make it easy for people to find you in searches.
LinkedIn is a database. Every day, more and more prospects are becoming educated on LinkedIn search capabilities.
Adapted from “Social Media Sales Revolution,” by Landy Chase and Kevin Knebl. Chase is an author and sales consultant with clients in more than sixty industries on five continents. Knebl is the founder of Knebl Communications, which specializes in online and offline networking.
