14 tips to get your LinkedIn profile selling harder for you this year

As a seller, take a moment to think about how you set about qualifying leads. You search, research, size up, and scrutinise. You examine the digital clues at your disposal and then ask yourself if a prospect is really worth your time.

The irony, of course, is that B2B buyers do exactly the same thing. They qualify sales reps by evaluating their credibility, experience, connectedness, approach, demeanour, and any other factor that helps answer the all-important question: is this person worth engaging with? That’s why 49% of all B2B buyers make a point of researching sales reps on LinkedIn – and 50% avoid reps with incomplete profiles.

As analyst Kathleen Schaub notes in her IDC White Paper, Social Buying Meets Social Selling: How Trusted Networks Improve the Purchase Experience, 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-level executives use social media when making purchase decisions. They’re looking for ideas, answers, and a trusted partner to take them where they need to be. Optimising your LinkedIn profile to work as a selling tool makes sure you pass this due diligence test. Get it right and you’ll be able to scale your outreach efforts in the confidence that you’re sending the right signals.

Optimising your LinkedIn profile for sales involves moving beyond the mindset of using it as a resumé. Your profile doesn’t just showcase your own qualifications. It’s a live window on your expertise and how you’re adding value for clients in the here and now. Revisiting the different elements of your profile, and asking yourself how prospective buyers will interpret what they find there, is the key to using it as an active selling asset.

Here are the 14 most important tips for optimising your LinkedIn profile – and turning it into a magnet for buyers:

Create a hard-working headline

A concise summary of who you help, and how can be much more powerful in this field than a simple job title. A well-crafted headline implies that you’ve taken time to make the rest of your profile more enjoyable, too.

Make a human connection through your photo

Choose a photo that gives off a warm, genuine vibe. Shoot for approachable, but not too casual. We’re drawn to faces so be sure yours is in focus and in full view.

Double-check contact info

Check to see that all fields contain your current information. Pay close attention to spelling and number sequence to ensure inadvertent transposed numbers or misspellings don’t keep someone from getting in touch.

Create a personalised LinkedIn URL

A personalised URL is memorable, easily linkable, and will help distinguish you in search. Try to get your name – and if that’s not available, aim for a close variation, potentially using your middle initial.

Have a purposeful connection strategy

Your network reflects the quality of your professional relationships. Be thoughtful about making connections. The invitations you issue should convey your interest in connecting, and the value you intend to offer. Personalise each connection request by giving the recipient a compelling reason to accept. If you have trouble coming up with a compelling reason, it may be best to wait until you have one.

Set your Summary to work

Think about what information could be most influential in getting someone to read more. A brief, meaty data point or area of professional pride might entice someone to dive deeper into your profile. Concentrate on answering the question, what’s in it for my ideal buyer?

Show your expertise through Articles and Activity

The Articles and Activity section of your profile recaps your activity on LinkedIn – and it’s one of the first places that buyers will look to verify your expertise. Publishing posts on the LinkedIn platform, and interacting with the content of others, will populate this section with evidence of your credibility. Bear this in mind when commenting on or sharing the content in your feed. Try to solve problems and share insights in a way that adds value.

Refresh your Rich Media Content regularly

Sharing rich media content in your profile gives a reader more context about your skills and experience. Be selective about what you post and check to see how the image renders to make sure you’re happy with it. And don’t leave this area of your profile to go stale. Make sure you update it with current, relevant work that you’d want to be associated with.

Share experiences that involve customer value

The Experience section of LinkedIn profiles may resemble a resumé, but that’s not the only way to use it. Turn it into a branding asset by emphasising the results you helped clients achieve. When you showcase client successes, the implication is you were instrumental to the process.

Stress the relevance of any Awards

Awards and Honours are great – but they’re worth a lot more when you can select and present them based on relevance to a prospective buyer. If you’re committed to a cause or organisation, buyers may deduce you’ll go the extra mile for them, too.

Don’t be shy about Publications

Does your company have a case study that highlights a satisfied client of yours? Do you maintain a blog? The Publications section is your opportunity to showcase your critical thinking and writing skills in this section. If you link to a personal blog, make sure you keep that blog fresh and compelling.

Make qualifications count

The Education section isn’t just for university degrees. Include any coursework or certifications that demonstrate your qualifications and credentials as a trusted advisor.

Join relevant groups 

Participating in groups can be a great way for buyers to experience your expertise and attitude firsthand. List the groups you’re a member of to make it easy for buyers to find you at your consultative and conversational best.

Request recommendations

Third-party recommendations carry a lot of water with B2B buyers. A recommendation should come from someone who can directly speak to your characteristics and strengths. Encourage them to share stats that show how you helped them deliver against their objectives.