I’ve reviewed hundreds of LinkedIn profiles.

When I review a LinkedIn profile, however, I look through the lens of my experience optimizing LinkedIn profiles to generate leads and sales opportunities from LinkedIn for business-to-business companies.

Chances are pretty good that your LinkedIn profile is one that’s been filled in using the LinkedIn profile wizard, essentially making it little more than an online resume.

A good resume, if that’s what you’re hoping for, but not so useful when it comes to effective sales and marketing.

What I mean is that your profile could be costing you several opportunities to connect and engage with targeted prospects.

Don’t worry though, because not only am I going to identify these opportunities for you one-by-one, but I’m going to explain why you need a LinkedIn profile makeover, and now is the best time to do it.

A profile provides two important contributions to your visibility on LinkedIn:

First is the use of keywords to ensure you show up in a search for the search terms and keywords a prospect or customer might use to find you.

It’s likely your current profile doesn’t contain any keywords that are used by your prospects or customers to find or identify people in your space.  No one looks for “gurus,” “ninjas,” or “code junkies.”  Professionals look for other professionals – “marketing specialists,” “social media managers” and “website developers.”

The second contributing factor is a headline that positions you as an expert in your personal business niche or field.

A “headline” is the phrase that shows up underneath your name on the profile.

Again, your current headline works for a resume, but prospects want to know how you can help them.

I see most people dropping their current title, accreditations or educational letters in there. Leave that for your business card!

The headline is so important because it’s often all a prospect gets to see to decide if he/she wants to know more about you or not.

Profile Makeover Reason #2: Demonstrate Your Relevance

B2B buyers go to LinkedIn primarily to connect with people who can make their jobs easier, and/or increase their current results.

If you want your prospects to connect and engage with you, you have to tell them why.

The best way to do this is to clearly communicate the benefits you can deliver.

This is best done in the Experience section, as then it’ll also show up in LinkedIn searches.

The experience section also gives you an opportunity to remove perceived risk on the part of the prospect by offering proof that what you say you’ve done, you’ve actually done.

Case studies, testimonials, awards, and media coverage are all effective forms of social proof.

When prospects can see the positive results others have had by connecting with you, their desire to share in that positive result becomes a motive to connect with you, too.

Buyers come to LinkedIn to connect and engage with real people.

Every interaction on LinkedIn should show some personality, and your profile is a great place to start.

It makes you appear more human, more approachable.

The key to this is to tell your story in a friendly, confident tone, and to write like you talk (warts and all).

Meaning that your profile should be written in first-person.

TIP: While you should write in a personal, first-person style, it’s important to remember to use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Even little mistakes or casual slips can turn prospective leads, employers or customers away, despite your credentials and experience.

Your current profile probably works if your objective is to find a new job.

However, if you’re looking to generate leads, and sales opportunities, you need a LinkedIn profile makeover.

It just so happens that I provide professionally-designed LinkedIn profile makeovers.

If you’re ready to start generating leads and sales opportunities for your business, learn more here.