Fresh Start Monday #028: 3 tips from LinkedIn Riche$
I went to the Boulder Library on Friday to pick up a book. Browsing the shelves, I noticed this short 120-page book called LinkedIn Riche$ by John Nemo. I'm doing more LinkedIn reviews as part of career coaching, but I didn't want to do an exhaustive LinkedIn training course.
I decided to get through the book and make it the focus of my weekend. Here are the top three things I'm taking away from this book:
1. You're always selling something
If you have a business, you're selling a product or service.
If you're an employee, you're selling your skillset as a potential employee.
You're always selling and building your personal brand. Whether you like it or not.
Maybe it's the word "personal brand," but people spend too much time talking about themselves and not enough time about the problems you solve for your clients and employers.
It's the #1 problem I see among resumes and cover letters as well.
It's about creating a client-facing profile.
A quote from Dale Carnegie:
"I know and you know people who blunder through life trying to wigwag other people into becoming interested in them. Of course, it doesn't work. People are not interested in you. They are not interested in me. They're interested in themselves - morning, noon, and after dinner."
What John Nemo does well throughout the book is relating LinkedIn to a real-life situation. Imagine you went to a party and struck up a conversation with someone. What would you think if they spent the next 10 minutes talking about themselves?
That's precisely how most LinkedIn profiles read. A list of accomplishments and experiences, but nothing about the reader: it's a one-way conversation.
Reread your LinkedIn and answer:
What should a company hire me to do?
How am I helping my ideal customer solve their problem?
Who are you? What do you do? What unique value do you bring to a specific audience or industry?
2. How do you stand out?
We're taught to "fit in" and "go with the flow" throughout school and the corporate world. However, this quote from Seth Godin struck me:
"The feeling of not wanting to be noticed is prehistoric. What has happened, in the last twenty years in particular, is that the only people who are achieving their dreams, the only people who are creating value, the only people who are being fairly compensated, are the ones who have figured out how to stand out."
In a weird way, I've lived a way that stands out from others, but I almost hide it. It could and should be my differentiating factor. Not drawing attention continues to be a limiting factor I’m working through.
I remember when I was looking to hire my own coach. I wanted a male, and someone who had a life outside of corporate. I can't tell you how many dozens of LinkedIn profiles sounded exactly the same. Zero personality. Corporate speak. And I learned little about who they really were.
A natural feeling persists of not wanting to exclude yourself, but search for your job title on LinkedIn. The search results from the first few pages remind me of Tract housing, where multiple similar houses are built on an area of land subdivided into smaller lots.
By Photo by Derek Jensen (Tysto) - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=313332
3. You don't ask somebody to marry you on the first date
Customers want to work with someone they know, like, and trust. Building a unique profile and showing your personality is step one.
Your profile is often the first impression. If you have a product or service, that often won't be enough to buy from you.
Earn the right to pitch people.
Let's say someone reads a blog post. The proportionate ask might be joining your email list or a free ebook you created. Not a $3k coaching package.
Create value and a relationship before asking for the sale.