How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Work as Hard as You Do
By Frank Hurtte
Let’s talk LinkedIn. It's your digital elevator pitch, online handshake, and social proof.
If you're in sales, leadership, or
any role where people do business with you, not just your company, then
your LinkedIn profile is your online handshake. First impressions matter. If
your profile looks like a ghost town or a resume from 2004, it might be time
for a tune-up.
Here are a few practical, real-world
tips to help your profile rise above the noise:
1.
Use a Real Photo—A Good One
No selfies. No sunglasses. No
vacation shots cropped from a wedding. Invest in a professional headshot or at
least a photo where you’re well-lit, smiling, and look like someone a customer
would want to talk to. If headshots aren’t in your budget, take a photo against
a plain background and use a program or app to improve it.
Reality Check: Listen, we KNOW you
looked great at your frat brother’s wedding, but save those photos for just
about any other platform.
2.
Your Headline Isn’t Just Your Job Title
LinkedIn defaults to your job title,
but that’s just a start. Instead of “Account Manager at XYZ,” try something
that says what you do and why you’re valuable, like “Helping
Distributors Win with Data-Driven Sales Strategy.” Don’t be overly flashy, be
clear.
Reality Check: People in Distributorland
often have different titles for the same role. While taking creative liberties
is discouraged, if your title is confusing to anyone outside of your firm, you should
revise it to fit your role.
3.
Tell Your Story in the ‘About’ Section
Skip the buzzwords and PLEASE don’t
just copy your resume. Instead, write a few short paragraphs that explain who
you are, what you’re good at, and how you help people. Consider if it’s too
long, people will skip it, but if it’s too short, you look lazy. If you’re in
sales, think of this as your written elevator pitch.
Reality Check: It’s tempting to write
an all-encompassing biography to give readers the full picture. Don’t do this. Stick
to the highlights, keeping the most important details at the top where they
will be seen!
4.
Share Wins Without Bragging
LinkedIn is full of Braggy Brads and
Shy Sharons. Shoot to be somewhere in between. Use your experience section to
highlight your accomplishments. Numbers help. “Grew territory sales 32% in 18
months” beats “Managed accounts.” Be specific but stay human. People want to
know how you make things happen.
Reality Check: If your role doesn’t have
any notable metrics, write about how you improved processes.
5.
Get (and Give) Recommendations
Ask people you’ve worked with to
write short, honest recommendations. Write a few for others as well. What goes
around comes around, and it builds credibility.
Reality Check: When writing
recommendations, do so without expecting people to reciprocate.
6. Be
Active (But Not Annoying)
You don’t need to post daily, but
comment on industry articles, share helpful insights, or post a quick takeaway
from a customer visit or sales call. Show people you're engaged and respond to
comments. Presence matters.
Reality Check: You receive a
negative comment on one of your posts. You may be tempted to delete it, ignore
it, or match the respondent’s energy. Take a deep breath and channel your inner
Susie Sunshine. Your positivity will go further in the long run.
The bottom line? Your LinkedIn
profile is part of your reputation. It doesn’t need to be perfect or fancy; it
just needs to reflect you and what you bring to the table. You will also
want to give it a quarterly once-over. Take an hour this week and give it a
polish. Future you will thank you.
But even Frank has had help with his LinkedIn profile.
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