Author: Carol Kaemmerer

Internationally recognized executive branding expert, speaker and author of the award-winning book LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive, Carol Kaemmerer creates powerful brand messaging for senior executives and their companies to increase their visibility, influence, and ability to steer their future.

A member of National Speakers Association and certified as a Virtual Presenter, Carol is also an Advisor to the C-Suite Network.

Elevate Your Executive Job Interviews: Mastering Personal Branding Strategies

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date October 29, 2023

In the competitive landscape of senior leadership roles, mastering the art of the job interview is crucial. Senior leaders, from VPs to C-Suite executives, need an approach that combines thorough research, self-discovery, and impeccable communication skills. In this article, we’ll explore six essential strategies that contribute to success. By delving into the company’s ethos, understanding your brand pillars, and perfecting your narrative, you can leave a lasting impression that aligns your skills with the organization’s needs.

Thorough Research:

Begin your interview preparation by delving into the company’s background, understanding its mission and values, and staying updated with recent news. Simultaneously, focus on researching the position you’re applying for, to understand its role in the company’s larger goals and strategies.

Self-Discovery and Personal Brand Pillars:

Identify your unique qualities and what sets you apart from others in your field. Pinpoint three key things you want to be known for and determine the search terms that best define your professional identity. Understanding your brand pillars forms the foundation of your narrative, both for interviews and your LinkedIn profile. The higher the position you aspire to, the more important your self-awareness will be to the interviewer, as leaders are also standard-bearers for the company.

Craft Your Narrative:

Develop an authentic personal narrative encompassing the successes and challenges you’ve overcome in your career. Articulate your achievements and how you’ve learned and grown from adversity. Be prepared to discuss failures openly, emphasizing the valuable lessons you’ve gained and your ability to adapt and improve.

Practice and Preparation:

Create a list of talking points and stories highlighting your achievements, emphasizing your abilities and strengths. Rehearse your responses to common interview questions, ensuring your answers are clear, confident, and concise. Authenticity is key; represent yourself genuinely, aligning your skills and experiences with the specific needs of the company you are interviewing with.

Active Listening and Probing Questions:

During the interview, demonstrate your curiosity and active listening skills. Inquire about the reason behind the position being open. Ask insightful questions about how success in the role will be evaluated, showcasing your commitment to delivering results and contributing meaningfully to the organization.

Express Genuine Interest and Gratitude:

Ask if there are any concerns the interviewer may have, displaying your openness to feedback and willingness to address potential issues. Express your genuine interest in the role, outlining specific ways you can contribute to the organization’s success. Finally, thank the interviewer in person and through a thoughtful follow-up email or handwritten note,.

As a senior leader, your journey to success depends on your ability to articulate your unique value proposition. Thorough research about the company and position, combined with deep self-discovery and a compelling narrative, form the foundation. Through active listening, insightful questions, and genuine expressions of interest, you bridge the gap between competence and connection. Mastering these techniques transforms interviews into opportunities to showcase not only your qualifications but also your fit within the company’s culture. Remember, an executive interview isn’t just an assessment; it’s a conversation where your story, skills, and aspirations shape the future, both for you and the organization you’re destined to lead.

If you are looking for personal branding and LinkedIn support, check out my website for the assistance that is right for you. My online course and award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive: Promote Your Brand with Authenticity, Tact and Power, 2nd Ed. are affordable for all. Senior leaders can benefit from my one-on-one executive brand coaching and done-for-you profiles.

Over the past decade, I’ve helped countless C-level and senior executive clients use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation. The American Reporter has recognized me as one of the Top 6 Personal Branding Experts. Along the way, I wrote the award-winning book LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition. It’s received BookAuthority’s Best LinkedIn Books of All Time award, gold status in two categories from International Book Awards, and was named one of the Top 100+ Best Business Books by The C-Suite Network.

Let me help you explore your brand pillars, build your brand story, and use this essential business tool effectively.

Do your due diligence through my website and LinkedIn profile. Then, contact me for a complimentary Executive Discover Call here.

Best Practices Branding Marketing

Safeguard Your Online Reputation: Defend Against the Rising Tide of LinkedIn Account Hijackings

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date August 22, 2023

In today’s digital age, cyber threats are a persistent reality, and the recent surge in LinkedIn account hijackings has set off alarm bells among cybersecurity experts. During the week of August 14, 2023, major sources such as Dark Reading, Bleeping Computer, Cyberint, and Help Net Security each sounded the alarm about this emerging trend.

The Growing Threat: LinkedIn Account Hijackings

Dark Reading issued a stark warning: “Hackers are on a spree of hijacking LinkedIn accounts.” This ongoing wave of attacks has left countless LinkedIn users locked out of their accounts due to security measures or falling prey to attackers who gain unauthorized access. Cybercriminals are capitalizing on this vulnerability, jeopardizing victims’ access and their online reputation.

Why LinkedIn Accounts Are Valuable Targets

Your LinkedIn account holds more value than you might realize. Cybercriminals can exploit your online identity and reputation to engineer advanced phishing campaigns that target your trusted business connections. This manipulation can lead to severe consequences, tarnishing your professional image and causing harm to your connections.

Strengthen Your Defenses NOW: Change Your Password and Use Two-Factor Authentication

The first line of defense against LinkedIn account hijacking is a strong, distinctive password. Make it long, complex, and difficult to guess. To change your password, navigate to the Me icon on your toolbar and select Settings and Privacy. Select Sign in and Security from the Settings menu, and then select Change Password.

When you change your password, follow the instructions to enable two-factor authentication (2FA). This secondary layer of security involves sending a dynamic code to your personal device or email, effectively thwarting unauthorized access even if the password is compromised.

Detecting a Hijacked Account

If you receive a “temporary lock” notification from LinkedIn due to unusual activities upon login, though this is annoying, consider yourself fortunate. This signifies that LinkedIn’s security systems are at work, detecting potential threats and intervening on your behalf. However, note that if you receive an email notification from LinkedIn regarding a new email address from an unfamiliar domain such as “rambler.ru,” your account might already be under the control of a malicious actor. So, now what?

Responding to a Hijacked Account

If you suspect your LinkedIn account has been compromised, take immediate action. Despite reported delays in LinkedIn’s response times, you should still follow these steps:

Respond to email notifications to regain access.
Contact LinkedIn Support via their official pages on platforms like Facebook or Twitter.
Change passwords for all associated email accounts.
Notify your LinkedIn connections about the potential security breach.

Conclusion: Stay Vigilant, Stay Secure

As cyber threats evolve, individuals and businesses must stay vigilant and adapt their security measures accordingly. The wave of LinkedIn account hijackings is a reminder of the importance of proactive defense strategies. Protecting your online reputation and controlling your digital presence is a top priority. By implementing strong passwords, enabling 2FA, and staying informed about emerging threats, you can fortify your LinkedIn account against the rising tide of cyber attacks.

Stay safe, stay secure, and protect your valuable online reputation.

I am NOT a cybersecurity expert. The following sources were consulted for this article:

LinkedIn Suffers ‘Significant’ Wave of Account Hacks

LinkedIn accounts hacked in widespread hijacking campaign

LinkedIn Accounts Under Attack

LinkedIn users targeted in account hijacking campaign

From Fortune 500 companies to Silicon Valley start-ups, clients nationwide have passed initial muster, raised capital, and bought or sold what they wanted to buy or sell by using LinkedIn to their best advantage. I can make this easy for you if you are a C-suite executive or senior leader. Before a customer or M&A team examines your team’s LinkedIn profiles, based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and that your profiles convey exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for.

Over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients and senior executives use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation. Along the way, I wrote the award-winning book LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition. It’s received BookAuthority’s Best LinkedIn Books of All Time award, gold status in two categories from International Book Awards, and was named one of the Top 100+ Best Business Books by The C-Suite Network.

Let me help you use this essential business tool effectively. Do your due diligence through my website www.carolkaemmerer.com and profile www.linkedin.com/in/carolkaemmerer. Then, contact me here.

Branding Growth Personal Development

Layoffs at Your Company? Strategic Next Steps

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date June 13, 2023

I’m reading about job layoffs daily in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Metropolitan Area, both anticipated and accomplished. The news in your community is probably much the same.

I grieve to hear of employees with many years of dedication being let go – I am sad for their sense of betrayal, as their good work was toward a goal now deemed superfluous. I am saddened for those who remain and must pick up the workload of their laid-off colleagues while looking over their shoulders to discern where the axe will be wielded next. And I am sad for the companies: by jettisoning experienced leaders they rupture the culture of trust and lose access to institutional history and wisdom.

This news rekindles the pain of my job loss in 2011, as the company I had served as a consultant for 20 years downsized. But I’m writing to share that the new path you create for yourself may be more fulfilling than the job you are leaving behind.

Here are some takeaways from my journey and my current work helping executives through career transitions. Whether you have been shown the door or are one of the “lucky” ones who must now do more with less, I hope you’ll ponder my learnings.

1. The action taken by the company was not about you.
It’s about making the numbers come out better, or maybe boosting the company’s stock price. You just fit into a category of people slated for elimination. Job loss during an economic downturn is not shameful. It does not reflect your competence. There was nothing you could have done to save your position. (Likewise, if your position was spared, it doesn’t mean you are so much better than your colleagues whose positions were eliminated.)

It took me years to accept this, even though everyone in the department I served lost their position. When I finally came to terms with how unrealistic my thinking was, I could move forward again.

2. “I-am-my-job” is a myth.
You are so much more. This myth doesn’t consider the importance of our business principles or how we see ourselves as solvers of larger problems. It doesn’t consider the many non-job-related roles that are dear to us. Artificially equating who we are with our current position sets us up for depression if we lose our job, for whatever reason.

Make three lists:

Things you will miss about your job,
Things you are happy to be done with,
Things you wished you could have done in your role but could not

Contemplating these lists may help you realize that your job was not as ideal as you might have once thought and that there is room for improving the fit between your interests and a new position.

3. Take some time to grieve.

Immediately after a job loss, your thinking is unclear. Take some time to be alone with your thoughts and heal. If the first words that come to mind when you talk with peers are filled with vitriol, no matter how justified, you are not ready for networking or working on your online brand or resume.

4. Treat yourself with kindness.

Eat healthfully, sleep well, and adopt a new exercise habit. Be patient with yourself. Wash your hands often. When you’re grieving, you’re more susceptible to illness.

5. Add value to others during your transition.
Step into a volunteer role during your transition. Make connections and introductions for others. Endorse colleagues for their key skills. Write them recommendations. Helping others will improve your mood and help in your time management.

6. You’ll need a stellar LinkedIn profile to attract your next position, especially if you are over 50.
Age discrimination is alive and well in the world of work. Your LinkedIn profile must be clear about your personal assets and the value you bring to your next position. Your brand should be easily grasped and memorable. Writing about yourself is hard under the best of circumstances. Seek some assistance from trusted friends and from professionals.

Check out my website for the assistance that is right for you. My online course and award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive: Promote Your Brand with Authenticity, Tact and Power, 2nd Ed. are affordable for all. Senior leaders can benefit from my one-on-one executive coaching and done-for-you profiles.

From Fortune 500 companies to Silicon Valley start-ups, clients around the country have passed initial muster, raised capital, and bought or sold what they wanted to buy or sell by using LinkedIn to their best advantage. If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader, I can make this easy for you. Before a customer or M&A team examines your team’s LinkedIn profiles, based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and your profiles convey exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for.

Over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients and senior executives use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress suitors and customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place. Along the way, I wrote the award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition. It’s received BookAuthority’s Best LinkedIn Books of All Time award, gold status in two categories from International Book Awards, and was named one of the Top 100+ Best Business Books by The C-Suite Network.

Let me help you use this essential business tool effectively. Do your due diligence through my website www.carolkaemmerer.com and profile www.linkedin.com/in/carolkaemmerer. Then, contact me here.

Negotiations Personal Development Skills

Failure to Differentiate Yourself in Business is Not an Option

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date April 12, 2023

As teenagers, nearly all of us wanted to blend in with our crowd. While we worked to separate ourselves from our parents’ generation, we realized that deviation from our peer group’s normative look and behavior could lead to our being ostracized by our peers. So we sought safety in numbers and let the herd mentality reign.

But in business, failure to differentiate our products – and ourselves – is not a winning strategy. We are forced to compete on price when we fail to differentiate our products. “How low will you go?” is not a success strategy.

When WE are the product, we are generally savvy enough to have our signature brand, which sets us apart from others by how we dress, talk, or write. When we are present in person, that is.

But when it comes to our personal brands online (aka, our LinkedIn profiles), we revert to herd mentality. We sink to the lowest common denominator. We visit a few C-suite profiles and see that that they are fairly unrevealing and short. We treat those profiles as exemplars, allowing us to complete our profile quickly and without personal insight.

We’ve all seen those skeletal C-suite profiles. But should we accept them as models for our profiles? NO.

Benefits of a stellar online profile

People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. People want to know what makes us different – why they should choose us for their next board director, employee, supplier, or business partner. With effort and insight, it is possible to provide the reasons in your LinkedIn profile. When you do, LinkedIn’s search engine will help you connect with the right opportunities for you.

Being intentional about a personal brand can benefit anyone in business. A stellar profile can:

Increase your visibility
Improve your relationships with others
Increase your opportunities for career advancement
Position you as the authority in your industry
Help you attract the right talent
Make you a more valuable asset to your organization

So why is your profile still barely there?

It IS hard to write about yourself. I understand that; but you don’t have to do it alone. If you are a senior-level leader, you’re used to seeking out experts to work for you; the same is true here.

I’ve helped countless C-level clients over the past decade to use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before the first conversation occurs.

I was selected by The American Reporter as one of the top 6 personal branding experts to watch in 2022. I work exclusively with top executives and senior leaders. I am the author of the award-winning book LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive: Promote Your Brand with Authenticity, Tact and Power – 2nd Edition.

If you’d like to know more, schedule a discovery call with me.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

Books Growth Personal Development

Strategic Engagement on LinkedIn: How to Become Top of Mind for Right-for-You Opportunities

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date February 14, 2023

The more you engage on your LinkedIn homepage, the more you’ll be top of mind for opportunities that are ideal for you. When you are consistently active on LinkedIn, you’ll show up in more LinkedIn searches, too. In this month’s article, I share some strategic principles to power your online engagement.

Consistently engaging online is key to becoming top of mind.Develop a cadence that you can keep (daily is best, but if you can manage only once a week, start there). Because it is easier to comment on what others post than it is to initiate a post yourself, ramp up your practice of engaging on LinkedIn by responding to posts that you find particularly interesting or thought-provoking.
Use tagging whenever you mention a person or company. When you do so, LinkedIn notifies the person or company you’ve tagged via email. This ensures that your efforts will be noticed. To form a tag on LinkedIn, use the “@” symbol followed by the name you want to mention. Start typing the name and finish by selecting the correct name from the drop-down options that will appear.
Pay attention to what your customers, clients, and colleagues post. Everyone enjoys attention. Responding to a person’s posts is a way to nurture a relationship. Amplify the posts that come from your company’s communications department. Find people whose posts consistently are thought provoking and worthy. Every response you make creates insight for others into your personal brand. When you start paying attention to specific people consistently, LinkedIn will reward you by making sure that their posts show up more often in your LinkedIn feed and notifications.
When you respond to a post, you add value three ways. You add value to the original person who posted, value to other people that read your comment, and value to yourself. Your LIKE and COMMENT should be thoughtful; it should be the beginning of a conversation between you and the original poster and potentially other readers as well. It takes some time to craft a worthy response, but since every response is a reflection of your personal brand, it’s worth it.
But know that not all responses are created equal. A LIKE by itself is a very small token of appreciation and will generally not get a response from the person who posted. (This includes all “flavors” of LIKE: celebration, support, love, insightful, curious.) In contrast, a LIKE and a COMMENT are more likely to get you noticed. But, comments of fewer than five words are not acknowledged by the LinkedIn algorithm. That means that comments such as “Great article!”, “You go girl!”, and “Congratulations” will NOT result in the post lasting any longer on the homepage feed than if the post had not received those comments.
Never respond on the homepage to material that makes you uncomfortable in any way (i.e., material that is sexist, racist, etc., etc.) If you do respond, you will be sharing that material and uncomfortable feeling with others. Take action instead: click the three dots in the upper right corner to report the post to LinkedIn.
When you have mastered the art of responding thoughtfully to others’ posts, you’re ready to craft your own posts, too. You might curate an article written by someone else or share your own thoughts (in 1,300 characters or fewer). Looking to share at length? Write an article on LinkedIn – but please, only do this if you write well. Everything you post and write online represents your brand and is retrievable into the future.

When you consistently and thoughtfully engage on LinkedIn, people will notice. You will begin to create a network of existing and new friends on LinkedIn. And since every response you make on LinkedIn represents your personal brand, people will begin to associate you with what you do – and recall your name when right-for-you opportunities arise. Being active consistently is a practice I recommend to all my clients.

Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress suitors and customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place. If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader, I can make this easy for you. Based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and your profile conveys exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for. Let me help you attract the talent you want to hire, increase your visibility and influence, and steer your career.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^ndEdition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^nd Edition received BookAuthority’s “Best LinkedIn Books of All Time” award, and was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and is an International Book Awards winner. For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

Books Growth Personal Development

Your Most Powerful 220 Characters: If You Haven’t Customized Your LinkedIn Headline, You’re Missing Out

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date February 14, 2023

Your Most Powerful 220 Characters:

If You Haven’t Customized Your LinkedIn Headline, You’re Missing Out

Your LinkedIn headline is the text that appears right below your name on your profile. Unless you’ve customized what it says, LinkedIn fills it for you with your current job title and the name of your company. But they also allow you to customize what it says, providing space for 220 characters for you to do so. Your headline is important! It is the first text people will see associated with your name and it is the first section of the profile that the LinkedIn algorithm searches to see if your profile matches a searcher’s keywords.

Because I have two speaking engagements with attorney audiences coming up, I’ve taken a morning to research how attorneys who practice in the areas of family law and intellectual property have used the Headline section. Of the 50 profiles I perused in each of these categories, about 90% of them had auto-filled headlines, providing a significant advantage for the attorneys who instead customized their headlines.

In this article, using these two areas of law practice, I share how to write a headline that will bring more of the right kinds of clients to your door while discouraging clients whose issues don’t align with your expertise from knocking. Readers who are not attorneys are still encouraged to read on. The formula for writing a stellar headline is similar for everyone.

The Formula for a Powerful Headline:

The first part of the headline is your job title, area of practice (e.g., Managing Partner, Intellectual Property Law), and optionally (for an attorney) the name of the law firm. If your firm is prestigious and has high name recognition, you would want to use it. (If you are not an attorney the first part of your headline is your job title or functional area, with or without the name of your company.)

The second part of the headline is your business story. Tell us who you serve, what you do for them and how you add value.

The character count of the two parts together cannot exceed 220 characters, but that is usually not hard to manage.

Examples:

In the area of family law, the most common (and not outstanding) headline is Family Law Attorney and the name of the firm. In contrast, here are two headlines that I wrote for family law attorneys using the formula above:

A — Partner, Family Law Attorney and Mediator at [name of firm]: Crafting solutions rather than obstacles to help families live their best lives as they transition through divorce or other family changes.

B — Partner and Family Law Attorney at [name of firm]: Focusing on complex cases involving high marital assets, the valuation of businesses and professional practices, spousal maintenance, and parenting issues.

Both attorneys represented here practice family law, but their ideal clients are different and their practice philosophy differs as well. Both have excellent reputations and high ethical standards, but, which attorney would you consult if you and your spouse want to end your marriage amicably, quickly and at a comparatively low cost? Which attorney would be your choice if you had amassed significant wealth that would be in dispute in a divorce? Telling people in your LinkedIn headline about what you do and for whom you do it gets the right people to your door much more efficiently than if your headline is the generic “Family Business Attorney.” Your time is valuable! The time you take to customize your headline will be more than repaid by the time you save not having to address approaches from clients who turn out to be inappropriate for your practice. (Non-attorneys, specificity in your own headline will work in these ways for you, too.)

3 Strategies to Let Go of Past Mistakes and Move Forward

In the area of intellectual property, the most common (and not distinctive) headline is Intellectual Property Attorney and the name of the firm. Here are two headlines that I wrote for intellectual property attorneys using the formula above:

C — Intellectual Property Attorney at [name of firm]: Helping small and mid-sized companies monetize, protect, and enforce their intellectual property to protect their inventions and advance their business goals.

D — Intellectual Property Attorney at [name of firm]: Focusing on complex patent, trademark, trade secret, and technology disputes in plastic formulation and processing, food processing and packaging.

People are adept at using search engines, including LinkedIn. When your LinkedIn headline is specific regarding who and how you serve, right-for-you clients will find you and prospective clients whose issues don’t align with your areas of expertise and service will keep on looking. With an auto-filled headline, you are missing a huge opportunity to attract people whose needs align with your services.

speaker holding microphone Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress suitors and customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place. If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader, I can make this easy for you. Based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and your profile conveys exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for. Let me help you attract the talent you want to hire, increase your visibility and influence, and steer your career.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^ndEdition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^nd Edition received Book Authority’s “Best LinkedIn Books of All Time” award, and was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and is an International Book Awards winner.

For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

What Can a Sales Conversation Teach You About How to Write Your LinkedIn ABOUT Section?

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date February 14, 2023

What Can a Sales Conversation Teach You About How to Write Your LinkedIn ABOUT Section?

The image that leads this article was part of Mimi Brown’s presentation at the National Speakers Association INFLUENCE conference in July 2022 on ways for speakers to increase their sales. The point Brown made is that so many sales conversations start right off with the details of our products and services. That, says Brown, is a fatal flaw that dooms most sales conversations from the beginning. What she says the customer wants to know first is who you are and whether they can know, like and trust you enough to want to buy anything from you. Only when they “buy YOU” will they be interested in knowing about your products and services.

Brown is onto something here. Her point is consistent with how I coach, speak and teach about writing your narrative on LinkedIn: your LinkedIn ABOUT section should be about YOU – not about your company or its products and services. Of course your company and its products or services are important, but the place for that is in your Experience section under your current position. The ABOUT section should be all about YOU because you need to establish your personal credibility and the know, like and trust factors that are critical to all sales.

“I’m not IN sales,” you say? The principle still applies. Whether you’d like to be deemed worthy of promotion, you’re looking for other businesses to partner with, or you’re searching for a new job, people need to know more about you before they are interested in taking the next step with you.

So how do you go about writing a great ABOUT section that is actually about YOU? This section is a maximum of 2,600 characters and spaces, equivalent to around 4 to 5 paragraphs – and the most compelling ABOUT sections will be approximately this long. When we write about ourselves we will naturally use our keywords in context, and that helps LI’s search algorithm find us. People are interested in more than surface information about you; they can see in other areas of your profile your job titles, companies you’ve worked for, and education, so a chronological bio is not necessary. They want to know what makes you tick. Because you will do best by communicating as though you are speaking to a new business acquaintance, I recommend that you write this section in the first person. Yes, you get to use “I” here.

For your ABOUT section to be powerful, start with introspection and planning. Begin your personal brainstorming with these questions:

What is my PURPOSE (my WHY)?
What is my business passion?
What are my principles?
What are my differentiators?
What three things do I want to be known for in the business world?
Is there a thread that unifies my career that might not be apparent to others that I should point out?

Now consider how you will use each of your paragraphs to address these items. Write an outline, then begin filling it in.

If all this sounds beyond you, and you are a candidate for executive branding services, I can help. But, if you will be writing for yourself, remember these basics:

Your ABOUT section should focus on YOU
You have 2,600 characters to work with

Tell us something more about yourself that we can’t intuit by looking at the rest of your profile so that we can know, like and trust you
To your success!
Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress suitors and customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place. If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader, I can make this easy for you. Based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and your profile conveys exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for. Let me help you attract the talent you want to hire, increase your visibility and influence, and steer your career.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^ndEdition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^nd Edition received Book Authority’s “Best LinkedIn Books of All Time” award, and was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and is an International Book Awards winner.

For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

Other Articles by Carol Kaemmerer

Your Most Powerful 220 Characters: If You Haven’t Customized Your LinkedIn Headline, You’re Missing Out

Strategic Engagement on LinkedIn: How to Become Top of Mind for Right-for-You Opportunities

Three Misconceptions About LinkedIn that Could Be Hurting You

What is a Personal Branding Expert? …And Do You Need One?

Why Senior Leaders Need a Strong Brand NOW — And Why It’s In their Company’s Best Interest to See That They Get One

7 Ways to Elevate Your Online Brand So You Can Love Your LinkedIn Profile

What is a Personal Brand – And How Can You Take Charge of Yours?

Twelve Changes You Can Make in About an Hour to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

Why Is My LinkedIn Profile Getting So Few Views?

How Can LinkedIn Be Part of Your Company’s Strategy for Responding to the Great Resignation?

Is Your LinkedIn Profile Missing the Mark?

Comfortable in Your Job? Uncomfortable Life Lessons to Safeguard Your Career

How to Be Found on LinkedIn: Ten Top Strategies to Rank Well on a LinkedIn Keyword Search

Why Are You Playing Small on LinkedIn?

If You’re Not “Writing to the Margins” on LinkedIn, You’re Missing Out

Don’t Be Hooked Through a Big Phish: Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams on LinkedIn:

A Small Omission That Undermines Your Credibility on LinkedIn

“Tell Me More…” — On LinkedIn

What is Your Poor LinkedIn Profile Costing You?

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LinkedIn Is All About… [What?]

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date February 14, 2023

LinkedIn Is All About… [What?]

The large number of LinkedIn connection requests coming to me from people who promise to generate leads for me suggests that they think LinkedIn is all about leads. But from my perspective, most business owners already have sufficient leads. What they may lack is sufficient customers.

The problem, converting leads to into buyers, is actually one LinkedIn is well positioned to solve. That’s because LinkedIn is all about relationships.

LinkedIn Is All About RELATIONSHIPS

I can hear the pushback now. “What?! I have thousands of connections on LinkedIn but very few relationships.”

I grant that is true for most of us. But the infrastructure and the tools available through LinkedIn can be used to move someone along from awareness to a sense of camaraderie – and perhaps eventually toward an interest in our services or products. Nothing happens without your commitment to make it so, however. Cultivating relationships requires an investment of your time and attention. It doesn’t happen through automatic canned messages and responses.

Cultivating Relationships

Starting out on the right foot

It’s hard to cultivate a relationship with someone to whom you haven’t yet bothered to say hello. If you send me a robo connection request (i.e. a request without personalization), how interested will I be in getting to know you? I may accept your connection request merely because your profile doesn’t alarm me and your connections will expand my network, but I’m not likely to spend time interacting with you.

Going the other way, if I ask you to connect with me but fail to follow up with any message after you accept, it’s hard to imagine that I’ve built the foundation for friendship. You should greet your new connections authentically and invite a response by asking a question.

Is it essential that we exchange niceties with each connection? No. Only with the people who really interest us — the people whose profile, job title, or something else about them catches our eye and resonates with us. Forming relationships should be a joyous endeavor, not drudgery.

Don’t sell

Selling in our connection invitation or right after we connect is not a winning proposition. There is no bigger turnoff than pushy sales talk without a prior relationship. Never assume that because someone has accepted your invitation to connect that they’ve agreed to be sold to. Sales and referrals flow when you are top of mind, you have demonstrated value over time, and your connection either experiences a problem that is perfect for you to solve or they know someone who they think needs what you are offering.

Relation-building strategies

Engage online. When commenting on someone’s posts, add real value to the person whose post you are commenting on, to others reading it, and to yourself. Note that neither a LIKE alone nor a comment under 5 words are considered by the LinkedIn algorithm to be “engagement.”
In your own posts, focus on adding value. Will your post add value to others and yourself?
Endorse skills. On your connection’s profile, identify three skills that you can vouch for and endorse them for those skills. Why not more? This is an attention-getting strategy you may want to use several times.
Use the “tag” function when you mention a person’s name online. They receive an email message from LinkedIn that they have been mentioned in a post. This assures that they will notice your kind mention of them and provides an opportunity for them to respond if they choose to do so.
Use LinkedIn’s messaging function to communicate with people (but only if they are active daily on the LI platform). When you use LinkedIn for sending a note to an individual, your message features your LinkedIn headshot, an important part of your brand.
Send an article via LinkedIn message to a person likely to appreciate it. This shows that you are thinking of them and that you’re paying attention to the kinds of content they may find valuable. Don’t send the article to several people adding their names to the same message. When you do that, you’ve created a group and everyone who responds will automatically be communicating to everyone in the group.
Be helpful because it’s the right thing to do, not because you expect quid pro quo. Eventually all the positivity you’re sending into the world will find its way back to you.

LinkedIn is all about relationships. Remember that relationships emerge through your investment of time and attention. Use LinkedIn’s functionality and these strategies to effectively engage, add value, grow your sphere of influence – and build relationships.

To your success!

Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, over the past ten years, I’ve helped countless C-level clients use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place. If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader, I can make this easy for you. Based on my knowledge of how LinkedIn works and how people respond to what they see there, I can ensure everything is ready and your profile conveys exactly the message and impression you’re aiming for. Let me help you attract the talent you want to hire, increase your visibility and influence, and steer your career.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^ndEdition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2^nd Edition received BookAuthority’s “Best LinkedIn Books

of All Time” award, and was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and is an International Book Awards winner. For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

The Job You Have (or Had) Is NOT the Only One You Can Do: Use Kaleidoscope Thinking to Create Your New Future

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date December 19, 2022
No Comments on The Job You Have (or Had) Is NOT the Only One You Can Do: Use Kaleidoscope Thinking to Create Your New Future

This is the time of year when we slow down enough to contemplate how our year went and what’s ahead for us. It’s also a time of year for layoffs, as companies do the same. That means that a lot of people will be looking for new job opportunities in 2023, either by their own choosing or because their role has ended.

If you are in the latter category, do allow yourself some time to grieve. Whether you loved that lost job or merely tolerated it, being without it is a major change in status, routine, income predictability, and access to colleagues.

When you’re ready to launch your search, here are some things to keep in mind:

You still have your skills and your experiences
Your skills and experiences will allow you to do jobs similar to the one you had (or are contemplating leaving)
Your skills and experiences can be applied in new ways to a totally different role
You are worthy

When I work with someone who is seeking a new position, I share my analogy of the kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscopes create their captivating images using the same pieces (think skills and experiences), combined in different ways each time you change the position of the wheel. This is an especially helpful analogy for people who have determined that they don’t want to keep doing the same kind of work until their retirement and for people whose industry is retrenching.

My own kaleidoscope story

For 20 years I worked with a Fortune 500 company as a marketing communications consultant across two of their divisions, writing the kinds of written collateral that would launch new medical devices around the world. Through my own choosing and to avoid any conflict of interest, they were my sole client. My primary skills were active listening to my clients explain about the new device, discerning what each of their audiences (physicians, patients and third-party payers) would want to know, and writing messaging that would resonate with each. Of course, I had deep content knowledge and a strong understanding of branding as well.

Then, in 2011, my phone no longer rang. My in-basket was empty. I learned that in response to an economic downturn the company had outsourced whole functions under retainer arrangements, including marketing communications.

I was out of business.

Because I knew practically no one outside the company and no one knew of my skills, I turned to LinkedIn to grow a network and to attract new clients or a new position. I knew that my writing skills would allow me to write about my skills effectively but I felt I needed to know more about how the platform worked. So I began to study LinkedIn intensely, attending webinars, reading articles, and following thought leaders. Along the way I reached out to my former clients who had also lost their jobs and helped them with their profiles. They were so impressed with my new content knowledge that they sent me their friends who needed help with their online branding, too.

Now I am honored to shine branding brilliance on people instead of products. I listen actively to my clients – where they’ve been and where they’re going. I discern how to most effectively communicate to their intended audience. And then I write authentic and powerful marketing story for them, using my new deep content knowledge of how the LinkedIn platform works.

Look again at the paragraphs above and note that the words in boldface are common between the two paragraphs. You see, the key skills from my prior job are now being used in my new career. The new image created by shifting the shapes in my own kaleidoscope turned out to be even more satisfying to me than the last.

My own journey is one of the reasons I am very effective and successful at working with others whose job has ended or who no longer find their job to be satisfying. In fact, this year The American Reporter named me one of the six “top personal branding experts to watch.”

Use Kaleidoscope Thinking for Yourself

To use kaleidoscope thinking, concentrate on identifying your skills. Start by examining and modifying your Skills inventory on your LinkedIn profile. We all have skills that we don’t enjoy using as well as skills we are passionate about using. When you identify a skill that you don’t enjoy using, just delete it from your list. Then look over your list again. The chances are that although what is left on your list are skills you enjoy using, they don’t fully capture all the value you can bring to a workplace. It’s time to add additional skills you enjoy using that are not currently represented on your Skills inventory. LinkedIn allows you to list 50 skills, and using all 50 slots is the best practice. You might find it helpful to do this exercise with a trusted advisor familiar with LinkedIn’s skills inventory.

When you’ve completed subtracting and adding items on your Skills inventory, identify your three most important skills and pin them in the top three positions of your inventory.

Expand Your Horizon

Now that you’re warmed up, think of places that need those skills. If doing a similar position for a competitor is not going to meet your needs, it is time to think expansively. Make yourself a list. Do any of these possibilities make you smile? If so, you’re ready to re-engineer your LinkedIn profile and other job search collateral to target those right-for-you opportunities.

Job transitions are difficult. Please remember that the world of work still needs your skills and you are worthy. And, if you could use some help along the way, I’m here.

About Carol Kaemmerer

Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, I’ve helped countless C-level clients over the past ten years to use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2ndEdition
My self-paced, online course
To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition received BookAuthority’s “Best LinkedIn Books of All Time” award. It was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and it is an International Book Awards winner. For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

Tags Job transitions, subtracting

Leadership Real Estate

Does Your LinkedIn Profile Inspire People to Do Business with You?

Post author By Carol Kaemmerer
Post date November 30, 2022
22 Comments on Does Your LinkedIn Profile Inspire People to Do Business with You?

“All things being equal,

people will do business with,

and refer business to,

those people they know, like and trust.”

Bob Burg, author, Endless Referrals

You’ve heard this quotation many times, right? But do you take it seriously?

If a stranger reads your LinkedIn profile, will they begin to know, like, and trust you based on what is there? If not, why aren’t you taking advantage of this marvelous personal marketing tool for yourself? If your response is “because I’m not in sales,” think again. Even someone with no external customer interaction has customers within the company. Probably you, like most people, are seeking some sort of opportunity (e.g., an opportunity for advancement inside your company, opportunities for positions outside the company, a board appointment).

This month’s article shares ways you can sow the seeds of know, like, and trust in your LinkedIn profile so that people will be more likely to do business with, and refer business to YOU.

Your About Section

The 2,600-character (~5 paragraphs) About section showcases YOU. It is the perfect place for you to provide information that can build KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST. Approach this section with authenticity and a willingness to be transparent in telling your story. Give people a chance to know the real you – because everyone is more interesting (and likable) when they’re not hiding behind their job or their company’s services.

For this section to work well for you, plan what you want to say. For example, select three things you want to be known for and build your narrative around those. Or tell us about your purpose, passion, business principles, and how you lead.

Are there some questions that always come up from people after they’ve looked at your profile or resume? For example, if you have several years unaccounted for in your work history, rather than have people come to their own conclusions about the time period (e.g., you had a nervous breakdown, or you had an addiction problem, or whatever they can confabulate to account for that period), take control of your own narrative. Briefly explain the reason for the gap in your own way.

Before you write, work out your outline and what you intend each paragraph to accomplish for you. Use your outline to write your first draft. Read your narrative aloud and correct the verbiage where you stumble. Delete words and sentences that are expendable. Read aloud again; edit again. Getting this section to shine is important; it is worth the time it takes to accomplish that.

Profile sections that advance KNOW

In addition to the About section, you can help people feel that they KNOW you by making sure your profile is complete. By complete, I mean:

List your present and previous positions in your Experience section and describe your accomplishments in each position.
List your post-secondary education and degrees earned. (It is not necessary to include years of attendance or date of degree.) It is a nice touch to share some activities you participated in.
Add any optional sections that can help give people a rounded picture of who you are, including: Volunteer positions, Patents, Publications, Certifications, Awards and Honors, etc.

Profile sections that advance LIKE

Your About section will do the heavy lifting here, but visuals can also contribute to LIKE. Examples include:

A photo or graphic image behind your headshot – this is called the LinkedIn banner image.
A headshot that is a professional-quality image in which your eyes and mouth are smiling.
The optional Featured section that appears before your Activity section is a place where you can share photos, posts, and videos that tell your story visually.
You can also add photos and videos to your various positions.
Your Activity section that appears before your About section is populated by LinkedIn with your recent posts. This shows everyone how active you are on the LinkedIn platform and the kinds of things you add to the homepage feed. This section can either be an asset or a negative, depending on your level of engagement.

Profile sections that advance TRUST

Again, if you’ve written your About section well, it will go a long way toward establishing TRUST, but here are other sections that also provide “social proof:”

Recommendations have a huge positive impact – and a lack of recommendations can have the opposite impact.
Endorsements in your Skills section.
Education, Certifications, Patents, Publications, Honors and Awards.

A well-branded LinkedIn profile can frame your business conversations with KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST, helping your business transactions go more smoothly.

About Carol Kaemmerer: Named one of six top branding experts in 2022 by The American Reporter, I’ve helped countless C-level clients over the past ten years to use LinkedIn to frame conversations, impress customers, and introduce themselves before their first conversation takes place.

Contact me through my website https://carolkaemmerer.com for:

- - - - Executive one-on-one assistance with your online brand
        
        Professional speaking engagements on personal brand and LinkedIn
        
        An autographed copy of my book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2ndEdition
        
        My self-paced, online course
        
        To receive my articles in your email mailbox monthly

My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd Edition received BookAuthority’s “Best LinkedIn Books of All Time” award, was named one of the “Top 100+ Best Business Books” by The C-Suite Network, and is an International Book Awards winner. For your author-inscribed and signed book or for quantity discounts, order at: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

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LinkedIn Is All About… [What?]

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