Due to a recent stream of updates and the growing number of people using the LinkedIn platform, your LinkedIn profile can do more than help you find a new sales position. A LinkedIn profile that is regularly updated and professionally maintained can help sales people make more sales with business contacts by acting as a source of inbound leads and another way to stay in touch with prospects and professional networks. These five tips will help your LinkedIn profile attract a wider audience and stand out from the crowd.

Tip #1: Make the Most of Your Headline and Background Summary

A surprising number of people leave the headline of their LinkedIn profile blank. The headline on a LinkedIn profile, which appears below your name, serves two important purposes: It attracts searches based on keywords from potential connections, and gives those searching for sales people like you a reason to click on your profile. Use a professional and engaging headline so that this opportunity does not pass you by.

Your background summary is also integral to helping your profile appear in searches and telling those who click on your profile more about you and the services you offer. Your background summary is a marketing piece, so use active, concise language that explains what you do and who you would like to connect with.

Tip #2: List All of Your Relevant Skills

LinkedIn offers users the opportunity to endorse skills listed by contacts in their network. This is another opportunity to prove your expertise and build credibility with your audience. Make sure that all relevant sales and business skills at your command are listed, and ask those who can verify your skills to send you an endorsement. Note, however, that just like on your resume not all skills are relevant; leave off skills that come as a given, such as making presentations or using common software.

Tip #3: Join Professional Groups Related to Your Business and Interests

There are thousands of professional groups that you can join to communicate with peer sales people, sales managers and executives, prospects, and others. Joining these groups can improve your visibility and your credibility. Look for groups that:

• Are well-moderated and have a high rate of group participation
• Are strongly correlated to your business and career goals
• Have members who are established in their sales careers and are authorities in their fields

Tip #4: Leverage Your Activity Feed

Activity feeds are created by LinkedIn automatically, and if you are not using this feature, the only activities others will see are your new connections, updates to your profile, and similar maintenance; don’t let this be what your professional network sees first! The activity updates on LinkedIn are a great avenue for sharing your business activities and thoughts on sales and related topics. In addition to providing greater keyword depth for other users searching for you, your activity feed helps those who are already connected with you stay in touch. Consider maximizing your LinkedIn profile with an activity feed that has:

• Links to articles that you found thought-provoking or particularly relevant
• A feed to other websites that you maintain, such as a professional blog
• Updates on your accomplishments; simply be aware of the privacy of others and save updates in this category for the game-changing, rather than the mundane

Tip #5: Remember Your Target Audience

If you want to drive sales through your LinkedIn profile, the majority of your content should be geared towards leads and prospects. Write in the first person and highlight topics and concerns that are most relevant to your best sales opportunities. Even if you decide to use your LinkedIn profile to find a new position at a later time, this approach will impress hiring managers as it shows that you understand the business of selling. Take the opportunity to update your LinkedIn profile now and count yourself among the sales people who are using this platform successfully.