Stand Out on LinkedIn
Standing out from the crowd is necessary if you want to increase sales. There is so much competition. Your product has to be faster, better, or cheaper or you better have extraordinary people and outstanding customer service – good is no longer good enough when you are competing in this market. You can lure them in with fun and engaging advertising, but then you have to deliver what you promised or there’s egg on your face all over the Internet. How does this relate to your LinkedIn profile, you ask?
Using LinkedIn can help you stand out whether you are selling a product or service, or selling yourself to get a new position, or raising money for your startup. Your profile and the way you interact can position you as an expert . . . or not. But it doesn’t matter how great your profile is if no one reads it. So you have to engage them from the minute they lay eyes on it. How do you do that? You need a headline that will grab attention. It can’t be exaggerated or sensational — it has to be real — but it has to be written in a way that makes the reader say, “I want to read more.”
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3 Ways to Make Your Headline Engaging
1. Get their attention. Use this opportunity as you would a tagline — a mini commercial.
2. Make it all about them — not about you.
3. Prove it. Use stats or facts that you can back up.
It’s the Default
Like many, my headline used to be my title, Founder and Chief Sales Officer. That didn’t get any attention. Your title is listed below each company name in the experience section of your profile; it doesn’t need to be repeated in your headline. Why? – it’s the default setting. So you have to deliberately go into that section of your profile and make a change. But first, you have to decide what you will write. Keeping the three steps above in mind, think about what you could write. Try a few variations and see which one you like best or ask some coworkers to help. Keep in mind you can always change it if you are not getting results.
Examples To Get You Started
Owner of an insurance company
Default Headline: Owner XXX Insurance Company
Engaging Headline: Over 20 years navigating the complexities of insurance so you don’t have to. You’ll never have to dial an 800 number.
Senior Sales Rep looking for a new position
Default Headline: Western Regional Sales Manager
Engaging Headline: Strategic Sales Top Performer
Social Media Marketing Expert
Default Headline: LinkedIn Expert
Engaging Headline: NY Times Recognized Social Media Expert Helped A Client Gain $6K in Immediate Profits & 4 Media Interviews with LinkedIn
What Should You Do?
Take a look at your headline, does it help you stand out? Is it engaging enough to get someone to read the rest of your profile? Do you have some messaging on your website that you could tailor for this use? The words you use for your headline may be usable in your other marketing material or as your 30-second introduction, so it is worth the time you will spend choosing them.
Alice Heiman is a keynote speaker, sales coach and sales expert who has been helping companies increase sales for more than a decade. Other sales consultants tell you how to increase sales but few show you exactly how to do it and make it so simple. Sales Expert Alice will show you a simple process to generate leads, handle objections and close the deal.
Photo credit: John Drake
