Day 7/7: 7 Days To A Better LinkedIn Profile
This is final day of a 7-day article series that was kicked-off by “4 Ways You’re Looking at Your LinkedIn Profile Wrong and 7 Days To Fix It” and is designed for any sales person, whether happy or looking. It offers profile ‘must-haves’ and attempts address to anticipate objections.
Today we’re talking about professional hard times, addressing what’s happened or insulating against them.
We wouldn’t be in sales if we didn’t love the win. Don’t forget that when we win, someone else doesn’t. That can mean that someone on the other side is disappointed at the very least but potentially didn’t make their quarter, had to face the loss of respect, possibly the loss of their job or others’ jobs, etc. And yet, despite the losses (and we’ve all had them), we sales guys/gals keep going back. That’s at the deal level.
What about those who get RIF’d in a departmental blow, or those who make one bad company decision, maybe want to make a quick correction and go to another company only to find out it was worse than the first one. How quickly things can go from being a top performer to a perceived has-been who now has earned “jumper” as a part of how of how people describe them.
Only you can let these experiences define you. People say we’re a product of our decisions. I don’t believe that. That would be like saying that when our product doesn’t work/our demos fail—that just IS our product. Nope.
For the most part, we are who we say we are and what people believe. By the way, when we say it, we believe it too. You know who you are, now be it. Say it.
If you’re out of work for whatever reason, remember what it is you do when you sell a product: You sell the value. You define what the value is for that product, you learn the pitch, and you focus on that. While you might position around its short-comings, you highlight its strengths. You’re never embarrassed about your product, nor do you apologize for it. You sell it.
When you’re on the market for a job YOU are the product. Align what you say with with YOUR product. If you’ve followed this article series and modified your profile you’re most of the way there, then it comes down to verbally echoing that story within screenings and interviews:
Step 1: Go back to Day 3, the narrative and remember your supporting arguments. Say it, believe it, repeat it.
Step 2: Go to Day 6 and use those endorsements to remind yourself of the great work you’ve done and the qualities others see in you.
Step 3: Approach your job search the same way you approach the first 30-60-90 days of any job. These things take time. Don’t take it personally when prospects don’t align with your product. Expect objections. Sell through them.
Step 4: When you get a job, never forget what it’s like to be out of one. Lend a helping hand and/or word of encouragement to others.
That’s it. There are your 7 days. Measure the success of your profile by the number of recruiters who bang on your door or prospects who take meetings. Then, go sell something!
If this series had value for you, or if you think could have value for others, please do go back to the originating article and share it. I’d appreciate it very much.