How to Build a Strong LinkedIn Profile
Being a successful salesperson is about more than simply presenting the facts and sealing the deal. When you are selling to eCommerce websites, or anyone really, it is just as important to develop a positive relationship with your prospects. You want your prospects to trust you and know that you are being authentic with them. It is also imperative to acknowledge the reality that your prospects are probably researching you just as much as you have been looking into them. So how can you make a good impression and send the message that you are someone they should be working with? This is precisely where the importance of LinkedIn comes to play. LinkedIn makes it possible for you to find new prospects, but it also makes it easy for these prospects to look into you as well. If there is even a tiny chance that what is in your LinkedIn profile could impact whether or not you make a sale, then attention must be paid to what you do and do not include in your LinkedIn profile. Following are a few details that should be included in a strong LinkedIn profile.
Professional Profile Picture
Your LinkedIn profile picture allows your prospects to put a face with a name. Especially if this is the first (and potentially only) time they will ever see your face, you want to make sure that you post a professional-looking photo. This does not necessarily mean that you have to get headshots done by a photographer, but you need to take it up a notch from Facebook. LinkedIn is not the place to post a wedding photo or crop yourself out of a group photo. Make sure it is a nice photo, with just you and some type of nice backdrop.
Strong Header
This is an area where many LinkedIn users have room for improvement. I see so many profiles where individuals simply use their job title as the header. Instead, try tailoring your header to make it about what your company offers, who you are, or what your expertise is. By incorporating some key search terms in your header, you can help give your profile a little boost in the search results. Additionally, I also recommend A/B testing the content in your header. Sometimes people are hesitant to connect with or respond to “sales” professionals. You can tweak your LinkedIn header in various ways – including the word sales, eliminate the word sales, refer to yourself as an expert, change it up to be a consultant, etc. Simple edits to your header can help to keep your profile fresh, and you can also see if your response rates or activity on LinkedIn change as a result.
Contact and Social Information
If a prospect or potential business partner is taking the time to look you up on LinkedIn, it is imperative that your contact information is easily available to them. Make sure your profile includes all of your current information – email address, professional website, company website and Twitter handle. If you get a new job at a different company, this should be one of the first areas you edit on your LinkedIn profile.
Summary
It can be easy to skip the summary section of your LinkedIn profile, but this is an area where sales prospects can get a much better understanding of whom they are working with. The summary allows you to highlight who you really are. You can use your own voice and personality to explain your background, how you got to your current position, your background, and any high-level accomplishments. For instance, in my personal LinkedIn summary, I even mention how I started out in Opera and now work in sales.
Experience
This is a section where a lot of people get it wrong by only listing their positions and titles. Let’s say that someone indicates on their LinkedIn profile that they were the VP of Marketing at XYZ Company. While it may sound impressive, I have no idea what that actually means. What did they do? Whom did they interact with? What kinds of results did they achieve? Include some key accomplishments and key projects as you list your work experience. This information is also useful for sales prospects, as they can see what types of sales you have made in the past.
Publications, Projects, and Awards
LinkedIn is the perfect place to highlight the work that you do. Your prospects want to know that they are working with the best person, so do not forget to share these things. Share links to any blog posts, articles, or videos of yours that have been published online. The projects section is where you should list things like being a speaker at a conference or playing a large role in a big initiative at work. LinkedIn is not the place to be humble about your job, so do not be shy about listing any awards that you receive. These awards can help people see what a valuable businessperson you are, and this can lead to new connections as well.
Recommendations
LinkedIn recommendations are a way to demonstrate validity in who you are, and it also helps your sales prospects get a better insight into whom they are working with. Do not be afraid to ask for recommendations – most people will say yes. Having recommendations will help to build rapport with your LinkedIn connections, which can only benefit you in the sales process. Especially when dealing with eCommerce websites, you cannot underestimate the power of social media and the information that can be found online. While this may seem like a lot at first glance, most of the items I have discussed are fairly easy and quick to implement. Once you have a LinkedIn profile that is accurate and complete, you will have successfully taken another step towards becoming a better salesperson.
