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We have all heard it: “People want to work with people they know, like and trust.”
In this post, I am going to focus on the “like” part of that equation. According to business guru Tim Sanders, the author of The Likeability Factor, “You can win life’s popularity contests.” And decades of research prove that people choose who they like. The Likeability Factor teaches readers how to enhance critical elements of your personality, among them:
- Friendliness: your ability to communicate liking and openness to others
- Relevance: your capacity to connect with others’ interests, wants, and needs
- Realness: the integrity that stands behind your likeability and guarantees its authenticity
When you amp up these areas, you boost your likeability factor and enhance your well-being and success.
Your ability to demonstrate your likeability begins with your first interaction with someone—and thanks to our new, all-digital world, that first interaction will not be in person. Your likeability begins with your Google results. When someone is checking you out in a professional capacity, they’ll typically start at LinkedIn. But even if they begin with Google, they’ll likely end up at your LinkedIn profile because it will probably appear at or near the top of your search results. That means, you can convince people who are checking you out of how likeable you are by focusing on LinkedIn. This leads to a crucial question:
Does your LinkedIn profile convey your likeability?
When it comes to measuring your LinkedIn profile for its likeability, here are some questions to consider:
Are you interesting?
Your profile needs to go beyond the facts—beyond your accomplishments and credentials. It needs to make you human and fascinating, leading the reader to want to know more. Your About (formerly called Summary) is the best place to demonstrate that you’re interesting, yet many people leave it blank. Use your About to share what you’re passionate about, what fuels you and what your life experiences have been like to help you convey that you’re more than a boring, two-dimensional resume. And it’s not just about words. Use your LinkedIn background photo or image to visually highlight the things that make you interesting.
Are you transparent?
Does it look like you’re hiding something or leaving something out, or do you put it out there— honestly? Make sure your About and Experience tell the whole story. Use as much of the space you’re given for each entry to tell your story in a compelling way. Using video is a great way to showcase the real, complete you. And put your best face forward. Make sure your headshot is professional and approachable.
Are you generous?
If your profile makes you seem like you’re “me,me,me,” it won’t make you really likeable. Effective personal branding is not about you. It’s about how you deliver value to others. Use the Accomplishments section to detail the volunteer work you do. In your About include some of what you do outside of work. Tell the viewer how you like to work with others, the mentoring you do, etc. Demonstrate that you’re a giver and a connected part of a team. Chest-pounding doesn’t ingratiate people to you in the real world, and it won’t do that online either.
Do you stand out?
To get people to be curious about you, you need to stand out in the crowd. If your profile is too similar to the profiles of others who do what you do, it makes you a boring commodity, not a captivating, differentiated brand. Be willing to share your quirks even if they aren’t relevant to the work you do. They’ll differentiate your profile, increase the intrigue factor and make you real.
Of course, when it comes to having a powerful LinkedIn profile, being likeable is only part of the story. In a future post, I’ll share how you can make your LinkedIn profile credible. Stay tuned.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, author, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and creator of the LinkedIn Profile Type Indicator (LPTI) which measures your LinkedIn profile likability and credibility.
