For sales professionals, LinkedIn has become the single best platform to build personal brand awareness and drive thought leadership to help facilitate building personal business relationships. Of course, this all starts with how you position yourself on LinkedIn. Positioning yourself is not bragging about how great you are. It is positioning yourself in the eyes of your clients. What is it you can do and provide to help them?
Well this got me thinking........ How can V.P. of Sales and Sales Managers help themselves to attract high quality sales professionals?
My last blog, Attention Sales Reps... Your LinkedIn Profile Is Your Storefront - Are The Windows Broken? got me thinking... V.P. of Sales and Sales Managers, are the windows to your LinkedIn profile broken? Is this preventing you from attracting high quality sales talent? Think about repairing the cracks and removing the roadblocks.
Social should matter when recruiting and hiring sales reps as well. When a socially savvy sales manager goes to hire a salesperson, they’ll check the sales candidate's social media channels to monitor activity. They may look at the quality of the content posted and the frequency of how often that person engages, as this may have some influence inside the hiring process.
What do you think that sales candidate is doing as well? Don't you think he/she is looking at your website, your social channels and more importantly your LinkedIn profile? What opinions are they forming about what you have to offer to help them?
CLICK HERE... SALES MANAGERS LEARN NEW WAYS TO USE LINKEDIN TO RECRUIT AND PROSPECT
Let's open up the LinkedIn Window and Remove the Roadblocks!
Reposition Your LinkedIn Profile and Dangle the Virtual Carrot
Eliminate The Roadblocks With a Few Minor Tweaks To Your LinkedIn Profile
- Professional Headline - This is your moment to grab the attention of the ideal candidate. Most people are not aware your professional headline follows you wherever you go on LinkedIn. This means every post, every comment, group discussion and published article. Would a professional headline of "Sales Manager at XYZ Company" entice someone to want to know more versus "Providing Sales Professionals Growth Opportunities by Fostering a Culture of Leadership, Coaching and Collaboration"
- Summary Section - This is the one powerful part of your LinkedIn profile. I love this section! In 2,000 characters, share with potential sales candidates who you are, what motivates you, why you do what you do and how you can help them get to the next level in their careers. I am a huge fan of storytelling. Why not tell your story of how you can help? Appeal to their emotional side and position yourself as a relationship builder.
"Design Your Summary to What Great Salespeople are Attracted to..."
- Leaders with a clear vision and great team
- Access to resources
- Clear expectations
- Company culture fostering growth opportunities
- Company growth potential
Think about utilizing the summary section from the perspective of the sales candidate and what would entice them to come work for your company.
Inside your Summary Answer Questions such as:
- What do I (Insert your name) want to be professionally known for?
- What do I love most about what I do?
- What do our clients consistently use to describe the work of my sales team and their support?
- What kind of environment I (Insert your name) provide to my sales team?
With a few minor tweaks clearly communicate why the best candidates should join your company and what you offer to help them succeed.
Create the value, be proactive and promote yourself. Get out there on LinkedIn and become visible to other sales professionals!
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Please enjoy my other posts on LinkedIn Publisher and on SlideShare
In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, "The Difference Maker" as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach copier sales professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help independent office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy
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