What Your LinkedIn Profile Says About You in LESS THAN 3 SECONDS
Without question, LinkedIn is considered to be the premiere social network for professionals. So, in an increasingly digital business world, “you are what LinkedIn says you are.”
You probably don’t give it much thought as you go about your day, but make no mistake, people ARE looking at your LinkedIn profile: Potential customers. Potential hiring managers. Potential partners (yes, even romantic ones!). All people who could have a serious impact on your career and on your life. It’s quite possibly the first impression you may make on someone, so you want to make sure you are presenting yourself in the best light.
As human beings, our brains are wired to decide first, think later. It happens when you meet someone new: Accountant? Boring. Lawyer? Arrogant. You could be (and probably are) completely wrong – that accountant could also be a triathlete and skydiver, but “boring” is the perception in your mind – at that first moment. Our mind makes immediate connections to what we’re familiar with and ingrained stereotypes abound.
Given that, keep in mind that it only takes a quick glance at your LinkedIn profile for someone to INSTANTLY evaluate you – in just a few seconds – before they even read one word of your profile:
- Low quality profile photo – or worse, NO profile photo at all
- Vague, generic headline (ie, “Sales Executive” or “Manager”)
- Low number of connections
- No details beyond job titles
- No skill endorsements or recommendations by connections
- 53% of decision makers have eliminated a vendor from consideration based on information they did or did not find about an employee online (Source: Kredible)
- 50% of buyers avoid sales professionals with incomplete LinkedIn profiles. (Source: LinkedIn)
- 81% of buyers are more likely to engage with a strong, professional brand. (Source: Experion Simmons)
- Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities on LinkedIn (Source: LinkedIn)
Social Media & Business Etiquette- Eight Rules