Optimizing your LinkedIn profile page for marketing

We know everyone's gonna look you up. So why not turn your profile into a powerful landing page that powers your business development efforts?

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Years ago I noticed that I could reduce how often I got ghosted by potential buyers by leveraging LinkedIn. At the time I was a lawyer turned entry level salesperson who scheduled appointments with busy lawyers from cold phone calls. The few lawyers who agreed to meet with me would often no-show the call. Like 50% of the time!

The sales veterans gave me lots of advice on how to fix this. Send them lots of follow ups and reminders, they said. Unfortunately none of it worked. My sales prospects just didn’t show up. Frustrated and not knowing what to do, I finally decided to try something different. I decided to find these prospects on LinkedIn and send them a connection request.

The results were incredible. My show rate skyrocketed. Not everyone accepted my connection request, and not everyone showed up to the appointment. But notably the ones who didn’t let me know way ahead of time that they couldn’t make it. It was unprecedented1 They treated me like an actual human being.

I think what happened was that, everyone’s kind of a stalker, and everyone wants to look at your profile—even if you’re a “mere” salesperson. We’re all human! And we want to connect with each other. That insight made me realize how powerful my profile page really was. And led to the insights in today’s article.

LinkedIn is incredibly effective, but only if you deliver a strong first impression

I bet you’ve heard lots of mixed things from people who have tried to use LinkedIn for business development. Truth is, not everyone is equally good at it. A big part of success is determined by what kind of first impression you leave on your audience.

Take off your business development hat for a second and consider the perspective of the buyer. When they receive a connection request or direct message from someone, the first thing they are likely to do is look up that person's profile. They want to know who this person is, what they are about, and whether they come across as a relatable human being. The initial impression that the buyer forms from this profile search can greatly impact what happens next in the business development process. In a world where rejection is common, that first impression can make all the difference.

That’s because buyers are bombarded with marketing messages and are constantly evaluating the profiles of potential connections to determine if they are worth engaging with. If you come across as genuine, relatable, and similar to them, it increases the likelihood of further engagement. However, if your profile seems impersonal, lacking in relevant information, or disconnected from the buyer's interests, it will lead to missed opportunities. I guarantee it.

Side note: Getting someone to say yes requires a combination of having (1) credibility & trust and (2) having a solid value proposition. Today’s article focuses on (1) but if you’re interested in learning about (2) you should check out my articles about outbound sales principles and how to engage in discovery conversations. And for my full breakdown on sales frameworks, check out this article here.

So how do you optimize your LinkedIn profile page? Today I will share 3 “levels” of profile optimization:

• Level 1: Fill out your basic information

• Level 2: Start curating your presence

• Level 3: Turn your profile into a marketing page

Let’s dive in.