Two weeks ago I wrote my first blog on LinkedIn where I talked about laying the foundation for a great LinkedIn profile based on being coached by Laura Virili.
Since then she has continued to coach my partner, Roseann Morrison & I, on how to really get involved on LinkedIn and we have learned a lot, and more importantly we are taking what she coaches us on and we apply it every day.
While this post is really focused on the key elements of how to complete a great LinkedIn profile, I realized there are 3 key lessons that I have learned from working with Laura that I feel we can and apply everywhere.
1) Have a coach – I have never had a coach before. While coaches do many things for us, the #1 thing I have found is that Laura keeps us accountable and on track to help ensure we hit our desired outcomes. This has become as important as the new material Laura teaches us. If you are looking to really grow your business find a coach and make sure the coach holds you accountable and delivers real actionable items that you can implement right away, not theory. If you view Laura’s profile and or if you get the chance to see testimonials from advisors you will know why they love working with her. Their business goes up.
2) Be a Giver – I read a great article on here from Bill Cates earlier in the week about prospecting and he paraphrased the definition of prospecting from Nick Murray from an event they were at together. Here is the the link to the complete article. “Prospecting is simply offering people something of value that will cost them nothing.” Isn’t this what LinkedIn is all about? What are you giving on LinkedIn?
3) Be Genuine – I have been reading a lot about emotional intelligence (EQ) lately, and we work with some speakers on the subject, and one of the things that comes out is that people with high EQs make $29,000 more annually than people with low EQs. Ninety percent of top performers have high EQs, However, EQ won’t do a single thing for you if you are not genuine. This is also very true on LinkedIn. Everyone’s radars are up. Be genuine. Be real. Be a Giver.
Now let’s complete your LinkedIn profile so that you can start to really connect and see how my 3 lessons from above apply. We completed the first 5 in the previous blog and here are 6 – 10.
6) Your Experience
Rule of Thumb: For your current and previous experience keep text concise and to the point. No more than a sentence or two, no more than 2-3 paragraphs per position. Remember to use keywords!
Ask for ‘Recommendations’ for each of position you have held. You get what you give – so give endorsements, easiest way, use Endorser, it does the work for you:http://endorser.org/
7) Join Groups – This is an area I am working on next. I am looking to join relevant group and figure out how I can give to the group to add value.
35.5% of LinkedIn Users are in
1-9 Groups. Source: SmartInsights Inc
8) skills/Endorsements
Receive more recommendations, which helps you be found & relevant,
9) Get influenced
10) Stay ‘in good company’
Make sure you are always reviewing and updating your profile. Now you are ready to be the best you can be on here and you are ready to connect with the people you really want to connect with. After all, you can only make a 1st impression once on LinkedIn!