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
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My award-winning book, LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive-2nd 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
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?
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
What is Your Poor LinkedIn Profile Costing You?
C-Suite Executives: Stop Hiding Online
