Episode #384: Shane Gibson
Meet
Shane Gibson
Shane has delivered sales keynotes to over 200,000 people on 5 continents on the topics of B2B sales and social selling. He is #5 on the Forbes.com list of the Top 30 Social Salespeople in the World and co-author of the new book “Real Results in a Virtual Economy – How to Future-Proof Your Business.”
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When someone meets you for the first time, one of the first things they do is Google you. One of the first search results is usually your LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile is your personal marketing landing page. It tells your brand story. So how do you make it tell the story you want to tell? Shane Gibson shares how to do that the right way in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode
- [1:01] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important?
- [1:56] The #1 element that has an impact on sales
- [4:19] How to tell your brand story on LinkedIn
- [5:57] Your content must build trust
- [7:26] When to update your LinkedIn profile
- [8:39] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile
- [11:03] Shane’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts
- [13:46] Take time to amp up your LinkedIn profile
The #1 element that has an impact on sales
Shane believes that 14 areas on your LinkedIn profile need your attention. The first big one is a professional profile photo. Secondly, you need to maximize your headline to tell your brand story. The summary section is where you tell people what’s in it for them. What makes you unique in the marketplace? You’ll never get a second chance to make that first impression.
How to tell your brand story on LinkedIn
Too many people use ChatGPT to write their posts and forget to edit them. Shane writes a post in his own voice and then uses ChatGPT to correct his grammar. He also recommends that you stay away from topics and opinions that take away from who you are or what you offer.
Social media posts are music notes. A single note on its own doesn’t do much. But when you place it with other notes it creates a symphony. You must post consistently, and tell your brand story, to create a symphony.
What is the value of a post? Does it impact your audience positively? Does it allow them to see who you are in a way that garners trust? Your content must build trust.
Shane’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts
What should you do to maximize your profile?
- Fill out your work history in its entirety for every role you’ve had with an emphasis on how you helped them. Too many profiles are just filled out with the basics.
- Consistently post content—at least 11–15 posts a month—to stay visible to key connections.
- Be conversational. Comment on clients’ posts, congratulate them, and ask questions. It needs to be a two-way conversation.
- Don’t make your profile pitchy or sound like a resume.
- Don’t connect and pitch—connect and be curious. Look for the right opportunity to start a conversation.
- Don’t post and run. It’s not about likes and comments. Comment and interact to start a conversation with ideal clients. Engage.
Which tip will you implement first?
Take time to amp up your LinkedIn profile
Someone has to trust you to buy a service from you. That’s the biggest problem for people who sell something intangible. Shane invested in a 14-point checklist to amp up every part of his LinkedIn profile. His profile communicates who he is in such a way that it answers objections and challenges and differentiates him from other salespeople.
A new client found him on LinkedIn through a mutual connection. He sent them a quick proposal and asked a simple question: What else do you need from me? His client didn’t need anything. He got everything he needed to prove Shane’s credibility from his LinkedIn profile. That’s what you want to hear.
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Shane Gibson
Connect With Paul Watts
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