To LinkedIn Is Human
July 10, 2016
Each new day brings me a new conversation about LinkedIn. Part of that is because I cannot stop taking about it. Part of it, is because people ask me questions every day about little tips and tricks to get more from using LinkedIn. That is the main reason I started Mike Shelah Consulting. I want to help people and I have discovered that I can make a living helping them. Today's post is going to be about a some of the "bigger picture" items I have come across in recent weeks. You may find some of this elementary, if so, consider it a refresher. My belief, is you will read some of these and say " I had not thought about that." Happy learning.
I'M A PROFESSIONAL... THEN ACT LIKE ONE!!
I can take this conversation in several directions. It seems that some people on LinkedIn do not understand ( or choose to ignore) proper rules of engagement or etiquette. I saw a post a few days ago where a woman in the real estate industry posted two pictures and asked for feedback on which one was more professional. I gave my recommendation and then suggested she hire a photographer for a professional head shot. The comments that came after, ranged from amusing to horrifying. People commented on how attractive she is, people commenting on her intelligence, complete strangers arguing with one another and using profanity along with other insults. I find this shocking, then again, it's' not me making these career killing mistakes.. You wanna commit career suicide, be my guest. Remember, once you put a comment in cyberspace, it is there, permanently.
THIS IS VALUABLE REAL ESTATE, USE IT WISELY
Your profile picture and your headline. They are the first thing your prospective clients (or recruiter or hiring manager) sees of you. What do they say about you? Do they say "professional?" Do they say "the right person for the job?" Do they project the job you want? Do they attract the customer you want? Think key words. Come up with a list of 20 key words to use in your headline that a prospective customer or a hiring manager would use to find you and then use them conversationally throughout your profile.
"FEEL FREE TO CALL OR EMAIL ME."
Great, and how should I go about finding that information? When you create a LinkedIn profile, you are given the option to include a phone number, email, physical address and twitter for contact purposes. These items are only for your connections. LinkedIn also offers you the ability to add an "Advice for contact" section. This is visible to all LinkedIn users. It is also a great place to add and even repeat a few keywords. I recommend you create an email address just for LinkedIn. Also, if you don't want your phone number available to everyone, you can create a free "google voice" number just for LinkedIn. When people call that number, you will get an alert that announces who is calling you before you accept the call.
LESSONS LEARNED
The Headlines are my calls to action today.
Call To Action 1: Be a professional.
Call To Action 2: Use that valuable real estate to its maximum potential.
Call To Action 3: Make it easy for people to contact you.
What points did I miss, that you think are important? Tell me what has worked for you. Tell me what backfired. I promise, for every failure you share, I can share one too (and I will). If you want to talk more about LinkedIn, or sales or leadership or public speaking, contact me, I love talking about these topics. mike@mikeshelah.com 443-808-1670www.mikeshelah.com
A special thank you to Daniel H. Pink. I am reading his fantastic book "To Sell Is Human" and it inspired the title of my blog today.
