Time to read: 3.5 minutes. Tired of getting so few sales leads from your LinkedIn profile? I dare you to fire-up your browser. Compare your profile against the below checklist. Check-off each step as you implement these three, proven steps to make your profile spark response from buyers. I’ll give you 4 of my best LinkedIn profile examples. The trick is to structure LinkedIn profile for sales—use “trigger” words that convince potential buyers to take action. (become a lead)
The 3 steps
To get started, check your profile. Be sure it is written in a way that:
- Creates an urge for what customers want most in your Professional Headline space;
- Sparks buyers’ curiosity about what you can do for them in the Summary section;
- Directs that curiosity—gives prospects an irresistible reason to ACT (contact you).
Don’t just know this proven, effective strategy. Do it.
Need help? Join us in a live Clinic where I “diagnose and treat” under-performing LinkedIn profiles.
The basic concept in plain English
Every word, video, Powerpoint, PDF white paper and link on your profile can help buyers develop an irresistible urge to solve their problem or reach a goal—through you.
But only if you take a minute to design it to. The best place to start is your Professional Headline.
STEP 1: Create an urge to read
Like it or not, headlines control us. All of us. We’re being smothered by messages. Thus, we only have time to glean little bits of information—bits used to decide IF we’ll read onward (or not).
Bottom line: Just like an effective cold call or elevator pitch you’ve got to have an effective, repeatable way to grab attention.
In SECONDS, not minutes.
Your profile’s Professional Headline space should display information that creates an urge to discover more … more about whatever is most important to your buyer.
DO NOT list your title or job position. DO make sure your professional headline presents:
- what you do,
- who you do it for and (if possible)
- elude to how you do it that creates distinction.
The best LinkedIn profile for sales reps start with Professional Headlines that hint at why buyers should read onward. Make your “why” clear but not totally complete. Leave off the details.
This creates an urge to scroll down to the next section: Your profile’s Summary.
2 LinkedIn profile examples (headlines)
Turnaround and acquisition expert, Carter Pennington, says he “maximizes shareholder value of troubled companies.”
Mando Villareal names his target market and says he helps them “reduce cost increase efficiency & automate deliverables.”
In both cases structuring words this way helps prospects wonder, “I wonder how he does that?” It creates an urge to scroll down and learn more about the seller … qualify them. As part of the process leads self-qualify for Mando and Carter.
Wondering where to start yourself? Use what you already know is most important to your prospective buyer. Don’t be clever. Instead, push your prospects’ buttons.
Trent Smith is a “Trusted advisor to attorneys who want to grow their practice.” Trent knows there isn’t an attorney on the planet who doesn’t want to grow their practice.
Remember: Use your Professional Headline space to create an urge to discover more about what makes you worth paying attention to. Be bold. Grab your prospect, FAST.
STEP 2: Get prospects curious, provoke a reaction
Your LinkedIn profile is a tool to get prospects curious about what you can do for them. Because once they’re curious, they’re more likely to take ACTION. Since your Summary section is likely “above the fold” (seen before anything else) it’s the best place to start sparking reactions.
The idea is to quickly make statements that cause customers to become excited, unsure, eager or even a bit scared. This is different than reciting information about yourself, resume style. Showing customers, “I have a better way,” telling them you have short-cuts they desire or making a bold claim helps you:
- prove to be worth listening to (grabs the prospect) and
- make a big claim with confidence.
Every seller has a big claim that plays on the desire of buyers—no matter what you’re selling. It’s believable, credible and needed. So use it. Your LinkedIn profile is a great place to:
- set-up the claim
- make it and
- create an urge to act on the reaction your claim creates.
Example: A how to provoke leads (the easy way)
Here’s one of my best LinkedIn profile summary example for sales.
Gerry Blaum makes the claim he’ll save Fortune 1000 clients $500,000 in health care over-spending and connect them with better service providers. If he cannot he’ll give clients his fee back. He says, “we only get paid when we save money for our clients.”
Gerry makes his claim dramatically. However, to keep it believable and credible, he reveals how he gets paid. This encourages HR executives at some of the world’s largest companies to respect the claim and also wonder, “Hmm, how exactly does Gerry do that?”
Be careful to balance. Don’t make a claim that is unbelievable—or a promise that reveals too much, too fast. Instead, make claims that are believable. Also, keep it short-and-sweet. Help buyers develop hunger for the details (how you deliver your claim).
You’re going for a reaction, or an irritation—not total satisfaction. The idea is to scratch the buyers’ itch. That means stopping short of offering full relief.
To more fully relieve their itch (or reach a goal) they need to take an action. This is just one way to effectively spark connections, email conversations or phone calls with prospects. Shoot me an email or comment below and I’ll share more examples.
STEP 3: When to make a call-to-action
Sometimes you’ve got to tell ’em what to do, when giving them what they want. Here’s what I mean. Your LinkedIn profile should contain “exit points.” Spots where a call-to-action should be placed—driving prospects away from your profile, toward your landing page, telephone or email inbox.
Toward shortcuts, tips, advice or confirmation of nagging fears—whatever they want most.
Make sure you are using calls-to-action to the fullest. Here are quick tips on how to make effective LinkedIn profile calls-to-action.
You cannot use HTML or links in the Summary section. But you can place calls-to-action inside it. Creating clearly identifiable sub-sections and headlines gives you the chance to make calls-to-action.
Again, look at how Gerry Blaum executes it. It’s easy to scan with the eye, grabbing the essence of each “chunk” of copy.
Stick to the basics. In a few words, use sub-sections inside the Summary to describe:
- What you do & who you do it for
- Why the prospect should care (how you do it differently than the competition)
- How & WHY customers should contact you (email, Facebook, Twitter, phone, Web site, etc.)
Give prospects what they want. Prove to them, quickly, you’ve got what they want. Hand out a sample as proof. But don’t overwhelm them. The minute they feel overwhelmed you’re doomed. Take it from me—I made this mistake for… well… never mind!
Use trigger words to encourage action. Use phrases like:
- Get all the details
- Call me, email me
- Discover fresh tips
- See examples here
- Start here (this one is very powerful believe it or not!)
Although you cannot use HTML in this section readers will take advantage of links your share.
Your target audience will visit your Web URL by cutting & pasting or right-clicking. In some Web browsers (like Chrome) users can jump to your Web site by hi-lighting the URL, right-clicking and immediately visiting your site.
Trent Smith (mentioned in Step 1) uses his Contact and Summary sections to speak directly to prospects.
If you want visitors to say, “Wow! I’ve got to talk to this attorney right now!”, then get website strategies for attracting clients at:
http://www.JangoStudios.com
Of course, there are subtle, indirect approaches that are also effective. Choosing the specific approach often depends on your target market, type of decision-maker(s), sales cycles, complexity of what you’re selling etc. For example, Challenger sellers will need to take a much different, educational approach.
Each month I host two LinkedIn profile Clinics. Fifty sellers who want more leads from their profile join a Webinar. You should join us too. I examine and improve a handful of profiles—so they provoke more response from potential buyers. If you’re interested in taking first steps on everything I’ve presented today join us here. You’ll be able to see more LinkedIn profile summary examples for sales.
To your success!
Photo credit: Lars Ploughmann
