Read this in its entirety before coming to any conclusion, and you never know, it might just resonate with you, strike a chord, and even act as the catalyst to revisit your profile. For chances are, your competitors on here, are already making these mistakes, and that can create opportunities for you if you recognise them, and do something about it.
What IS the purpose of your online profile?
Why have you got one? What are you using it for? Despite paying money to get it designed and look pretty - is it working for you? There are, in my mind, 7 classic mistakes, people make with their profile. Read all 7 and see if any apply to you or online members you know. Linkedin for example, is first and foremost, a business network, so...
A. Not mentioning the Problems you solve
Are you forgetting to mention the problems you can actually solve for your target market in your ecademy profile? Your fellow ecademists, may actually be in need of your services, but if you don't tell them about the problems, pains or predicaments you fix, how will they know. How can they recommend you if they don't know what it is you actually fix or solve? Some of your fellow members visiting your profile may also be suffering from, or experiencing these problems, pains or frustrations. One of the first things you want a visitor to say when they visit your profile is - "Yup, i know how that feels" or "I know someone who knows how that feels". People don't want to get to know you, if they don't think you can help them, or if they don't know what it is you do, or don't think you're worth getting to know. What are the problems you can fix?
B. Not describing the people you help
Do you actually mention who your clients are, the type of clients, and the criteria you look for in a client, on your profile? The majority of people online are pretty vague in this respect, and then they wonder why they get all sorts of vague introductory emails from people they don't want to to communicate with, more importantly, they receive pro-active communications from people who do not have a need for their products or services, and the profile owner reacts negatively of accusing their fellow member of being "spammy". You are on a networking platform for god's sake, you are inviting people to contact you. All you have to do is start saying on your profile who are the people you want or need to contact you. Who do you actually help, or who could benefit from reading your profile?
C. Forgetting to mention The solution you offer
It's funny, how many times have you visited a profile....Read about the person, their football team, their partner, children, which sign of the zodiac they are, which car they are like, even which character from the Matrix they are like, (some even do describe the car they are like) but you have no compelling reason or wish to actually contact them, because you don't know what problems they solve or whether they can actually help people like you. You need to discuss what can be achieved if people use your product or service and what things are likely to happen if people engage with you and their problems are solved - create a desire or want for them to communicate with you. People are interested in one thing only - results. Talk about the results you offer. What is the solution you offer?
D. The Reason why
Have you forgotten to remind your fellow members why your prospects and people you know, are experiencing the problems they are, and why they they are stuck with the problems listed in A, and more importantly, not taking advantage of C. By explaining the reason why people experince the problems they do, you are further demonstrating you know your craft, have a thorough knowledge of your subject, and it helps to build to trust and credibility. You need to explain why the reader might be having problems in your area of expertise, so you can disqualify them from being a potential client or not. Why do you think the same people keep revisiting your profile - they think you can help them, they're not just sure how or why. Of all the solution providers that do what you do, why should people pick you as their solution provider?
E. You
We've touched on this earlier, it's about credibility and positioning you as an expert, not every aspect of your social and personal life to give scam artists and identity thieves everything they need to open a bank account in your name. How many business meetings have you gone to, and asked the person sitting opposite you about their dog, or which character of the matrix they are most like. You simply don't do it. Stay focussed on what you talk about regarding yourself, build a profile about you and your achievements, your track record, the people you've helped. Yes, give an introduction to who you are, but don't dwell on it or make the classic mistake of selffish marketing and do a "me. me. me" talking only about you and not the people you can help. Do you focus on you or your potential prospects in your profile?
F. How can they help themselves
Stop going to meetings, that lead to nothing. Stop visiting profiles and think oh she's nice, let's have a coffee. You need to describe the basic steps that readers of your profile need to take in order to help themselves (or further qualify or disqualify themselves). People are silently begging to be led, they want a solution, they think you can help (if you've folllowed steps A-E), but now what? How can you prove you can help them? How can you help readers of your profile resolve their problems or at the very least, start making progress to give them confidence that they should in fact be speaking with you, want to meet you, or even engage you to provide a solution. Do you tell prospects how they can help themselves?
G. Next step
Ever had loads of people visit your profile that lead to nothing - no 121. no phone call. not even a personal message to acknowledge they've read your profile and found it interesting. You can click on "Profile Hits" on your profile to find out how many people have visited your profile since being on ecademy, and as a blackstar you can create an autoresponder to follow up visitors to your profile. But do you actually tell your prospects what they should do next having read your profile. Remember F above? People are silently begging to be led. They need your solution, they're just not convinced you should the be the one to provide it - they need convincing, they need Confidence to know you CAN and WILL help them. Start building that confidence by leading and demonstrate you can help them. Think. You've explained who you are, what you do, who and how you can help, next step is obvious - Invite them to get in touch and CONTACT YOU. How much money do you think you might have lost, by not implementing any, some or all of the above? Its time to stop having a mamsy pamsy, wishy washy profile. You're running a business for god's sake. What do your prospects want, need and how can you really help them? Hope this helps
. ;)
Fraser
Fraser J. Hay
