In today's digital world, you literally have 7 seconds to impress someone - that's it! A well-worded profile that is client-focused makes the difference between gaining a worthy connection or being denied.
Your selling success on LinkedIn and other such mediums depends mostly on how your profile represents your brand and yourself. Below are the seven steps you should follow to optimize your profile and attract clients.
Step 1 - Get Discovered
Wouldn't it be ideal if you showed up in the search results when a prospect was looking for someone just like you and what you have to offer? You are definitely not going to get a ton of leads by being passive and waiting for someone to contact you, but it does happen.
Make sure you have the right keywords plugged into your profile to ensure that you can be found as easily as possible on LinkedIn, by anybody who may be looking for services or products that you offer.
Step 2 - Your Story/Why You
Being found is just the first part to gaining interest from prospects looking for your services.The next part is giving them a reason to pay attention to you and what you have to say. To a stranger, your story may be the only thing that truly differentiates you from your competitors.
Step 3 - Credibility
Any relationship between you and your target audience must be established through trust. Since your profile is the first thing they will see, it needs to be clear that you are credible of their trust so confidence can be instilled in you.
This is where recommendations come in. The more detailed recommendations you have, the greater your chances are of building an instant relationship with interested parties. A recommendation on LinkedIn carries much more weight than a testimonial on a website (these are often fake). It has a direct link to the person who recommended you, making it incredibly legitimate.
Even though skill endorsements and achievements don't hold the same weight as a recommendation, they are still helpful in giving your prospects, and LinkedIn, the confidence they need to believe that you are the real deal.
Lastly, it is always a great idea to share high profile clients you've worked with and any other form of social proof to give you social credibility.
