As a salesperson, you play a pivotal role in your business. Your performance is weighted heavier than your peers’. And your accomplishments can be greatly rewarded. Many of today’s greatest business leaders attribute their successes to a positive sales career.
Your LinkedIn profile should sell your greatest asset: your own experience and talent in sales. Your LinkedIn summary, like the objective section of your resume, is a big opportunity. It’s your biggest chance to let your personality and character shine. More so than any other part of your profile.
Selling yourself is like selling a product or service. You’ll want to state your profession and your demographic. What’s your solution to a common problem? How do you distinguish yourself from other sales professionals? In the end, tie everything up with a bow—your call to action.
Check out these LinkedIn summaries for salespeople. And use them as models to close the deal for potential recruiters or customers.
1. Appeal to your target in your LinkedIn summary
How can I help?
Hi – I’m Blake. Are you looking for some support when it comes to providing training for your employees? Would you like to spend more time addressing your company’s learning and development needs rather than managing training providers?
I am committed to supporting you by managing your training for you. And helping you to achieve more and deliver exceptional L&D results. I support you to deliver excellence.
It’s obvious why this salesperson is using LinkedIn: He’s looking for business. He doesn’t need to state his target demographic because his interests are specific. You can apply the same logic to recruiters by appealing directly to their interests. What can you do to make their search easier?
This user’s summary goes on to describe in detail exactly what he can do for the consumer. It includes his contact information with a company logo at the end of his summary. Like a business card, that serves well for brand reinforcement.
2. Be personable
We don’t have to introduce you to Bob. You know Bob’s work already. His brilliant marketing has informed or influenced your purchase decisions over the last three decades. Bob’s campaigns are some of Seattle radio’s most recognized and compelling today. An expert at uncovering your salient unique selling propositions, Bob masterminds concepts, strategies and tactics that motivate consumers. And with his broad knowledge of best practices in a diversity of market sectors, Bob probably already knows you, too. Bob’s party trick? An ace marine and automotive mechanic with a MacGyver-like ability to survive any crisis.
The world of sales can seem cutthroat. But you catch more flies with honey than vinegar (but if you’re creative like Bob, perhaps you can do both). Present yourself as a team player. Let the warmth of your personality come through. And use that warmth to let your strengths and experience shine.
Bob doesn’t just present himself as someone you want to know. He’s someone with whom you’ll form a lasting relationship. He inserts personal details to paint a crisp portrait of his character – all within a few sentences!
Download Our Free Guide
Get our best advice on setting up a lunch meeting in a way that saves time, doesn’t break your budget, and leaves your clients impressed.
3. Let the consumer be your first priority
Sales, leadership, marketing.
These are my three of my favorite things. I believe that in order to be effective in the realm of all three, you must focus on the consumer. I am always trying to learn, adapt, and excel in everything I do and have a great track record of doing just that. I am a motivated sales executive working in contact centers, telecommunications and the high tech industry.
Always looking to share my perspective on the industry, best practices, and business perspective with those who share the same interests or in the same field.
This user kills several birds with one stone in this summary. His first paragraph lets consumers know what matters most in his sales career. The second paragraph states his target demographic and summarizes his experience for potential employers. His final word to profile viewers puts out a subtle call to action for networking. To top it all off, he’s using career-specific keywords. That will help recruiters find his profile on LinkedIn.
Including more specific work examples might be an area for improvement here. But this user’s casual tone might appeal exactly to his target demographic. A more direct call to action may have scared away a shy customer or contact.
4. Tell your personal story
Driven, intelligent, sales professional with a track record of delivering results. I excel at not only being a part of a team, but also leading it.
Prior to joining the business world, I was fortunate enough to play professional baseball for a few seasons and truly understand what it means to live a dream.
I’m a big believer in continual growth, work ethic, and enjoying what you do.
Specialities: Startup Sales, Enterprise Technology, Social Selling, Big Data, Flash Storage, SaaS, and Slow Pitch Softball.
Imagine you worked your entire life to be an athlete. Then you left a career in professional baseball to become a sales manager. This LinkedIn user knows exactly what that feels like, and he prefers to work in sales.
Anyone can talk about career dreams. You tell a hiring manager how much you love your field. You gush to a friend about cashing out your bank account and moving to Hawaii. If you’re like this LinkedIn user, you use a personal story to make a broader point. If you connect your wildest hopes and dreams to your career path, you’re sure to win over some hearts and minds.
What are your favorite tips for building a standout LinkedIn profile? Let us know in the comments below.