Your LinkedIn profile isn’t your CV
LinkedIn frustrates me. I find it two parts addictive (45 mins of scrolling can go in a heartbeat) and three parts annoying (constantly changing algorithm, conflicting advice from so called “experts” and completely random likes, shares and comments on different post types).
I was chatting this through recently at Legal Geek Growth with Helen Burness from Saltmarsh Marketing, one of the UK’s leading LinkedIn specialists.
One of the things I enjoy about chatting with Helen is that she strips away all of the noise around LinkedIn. No tricks. No hacks. No chasing the latest algorithm update. Just practical advice that helps sales and business development professionals become more visible to the people who matter.
It also struck me that her advice isn’t really about LinkedIn at all. It’s about good business development.
Here are three ideas that stood out. Enjoy.
#1. Your profile is your shop window
For many professionals, LinkedIn is still treated as an online CV. The problem is that your prospects aren’t looking to recruit you. They’re looking for someone who understands their challenges and can help solve them.
A profile written from your perspective talks about your experience, your responsibilities and your career journey.
A profile written from your client’s perspective explains who you help, the problems you solve and why they should spend five minutes speaking to you.
A simple example illustrates the difference.
Average
“Business Development Director with over 15 years’ experience working in the legal sector. Responsible for client development, strategic planning and revenue growth.”
Better
“I help law firms win more of the work they already have the capability to deliver by improving sales skills, partner confidence and commercial discipline. If you’re looking to build a more consistent business development culture, let’s have a conversation.”
Same person. Completely different message. One tells me what you do. The other tells me why I should care.
Try this
Read the first five lines of your LinkedIn profile and ask yourself one simple question:
“If I were my ideal client, would I immediately understand how this person could help me?”
If the answer is no, that’s probably where to start.
#2. Become known for something
LinkedIn, like people, likes consistency.
If you post about AI one day, leadership the next, Formula One at the weekend and your dog on Monday morning, neither LinkedIn nor your audience knows what you’re trying to become known for.
The people who build strong personal brands aren’t necessarily posting more than everyone else. They’re simply reinforcing the same themes over time.
Think about the two or three topics you genuinely want your name associated with. Then keep turning up around those conversations.
Reputation isn’t built through one brilliant post. It’s built through hundreds of consistent ones.
Try this
If someone mentioned your name in a client meeting tomorrow, what would you want the next sentence to be?
“Lee’s the person who…”
If you can’t finish that sentence clearly, neither can your audience.
#3. Comments are the networking equivalent of circulating the room
This was probably my favourite piece of advice.
Many people believe that being visible on LinkedIn means constantly publishing content.
It doesn’t.
Imagine arriving at a conference, collecting your name badge and then standing silently in the corner all day. Before leaving, you hand everyone a brochure and wonder why nobody remembers meeting you.
That’s exactly what posting without engaging looks like on LinkedIn.
Thoughtful comments are often more valuable than another post because they place you inside conversations your prospects are already paying attention to. They demonstrate expertise, build familiarity and create relationships without demanding that you constantly create original content.
Sometimes the quickest way to become visible is simply to contribute something useful to someone else’s conversation.
Try this
Spend fifteen minutes each morning commenting thoughtfully on posts from clients, referrers and industry contacts.
Aim to move the conversation forward rather than simply agreeing with what’s already been said.
People rarely remember who clicked “Like”. They often remember who added something worth reading.
Chat to Tina by voice, when you’re between meetings, on the commute to/from work, or heading into something you’d rather avoid.
Final thought
Helen’s advice reminded me that LinkedIn success isn’t really about LinkedIn.
It’s about making it easier for the right people to find you, understand what you do and trust that you’re someone worth talking to.
Everything else is just mechanics.
We’re building a team of voice enabled AI assistants to support you with BD activities and allow you to spend more time being human. Interested? We’d love to chat.
