4 Simple Steps to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile Using Client Testimonials and AI
Oct 06, 2024Not sure what to write in your LinkedIn About section? A customer-centric LinkedIn profile can really help you attract inbound leads and build your credibility.
But most of my clients struggle to come up with the right angles.
Here’s a method that can help you create a narrative that is guaranteed to resonate with your ideal audience.
It all came from a coaching session with a new Accelerator member. He offers a highly sophisticated service to Fortune 1000 firms where he helps with problem solving and decision making in a team environment. He’s working with the top executives at these firms to help them with their business strategy.
As he explained his work, I realized that it’s pretty intricate and challenging to condense into a brief, engaging profile summary.
I started browsing his website and had an a-ha! moment. He has eight solid client testimonials. This can be the foundation for a powerful LinkedIn profile that is guaranteed to resonate with his target audience, because we’re going to use the words of his customers and the stories behind those engagements.
Here’s the 4-step process we developed, using those stories and AI to shape a really powerful LinkedIn profile About section:
Step 1: Gather Testimonials
Start by collecting all your client testimonials into one document. These stories are a goldmine for profile optimization because they showcase real-world problems, solutions, and results. The testimonials reflect how your service or product impacts your clients, which helps build trust with your audience. Also super important…they’re written by the customer, so they’re automatically capturing the voice of your customer.
Whether you have a few or dozens, gathering them into a single document creates a starting point for creating a your customer-centric narrative.
Step 2: Record the Story Behind Each Testimonial
Behind every great testimonial is a story. There is a beginning, middle and end. It starts with the problem the client was trying to solve or the goal they wanted to achieve. Then there’s the process of figuring out the solution and struggling through the work to implement it. And then there’s the outcome. It’s a hero’s journey. You can either write the story, or just record yourself explaining the story behind each of those testimonials.
Follow this outline for each story:
- What was the client’s challenge?
- What process did you use to solve it?
- What was the outcome?
These stories are key to attracting inbound leads because they show how you’ve helped others overcome obstacles and achieve results. Talking through the stories not only helps clarify the value you bring but also uncovers key themes that will resonate with your audience.
Step 3: Transcribe and Organize the Stories
Once you’ve recorded the story behind each testimonial, transcribe those recordings and add them to your document. Arrange the transcripts to follow the corresponding testimonials to connect the two elements.
While we’re going to use this for your LinkedIn profile, this process also provides a framework for story-driven content that you can use on your blog, website and in future LinkedIn posts. Your audience will appreciate the real-world examples. Reading those stories will help them discover their own stories and trust you to help them figure out solutions.
Step 4: Leverage AI to Refine Your Profile
Now, here’s where technology steps in to simplify things. Use AI like ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot to analyze the document and summarize the key points into a well-structured About section. To ensure that the final product is concise and clear, give the AI a framework to follow. Here’s the outline I suggest:
- Who we help
- How we help them
- Outcomes clients achieve
- Why it matters
Here’s a sample prompt you could use: “Review the attached document and analyze the story lines, themes and client outcomes. Then create a 150-300 word summary for LinkedIn based on this content. The summary should follow this outline: Who I help, What they need help with, How I help them, Outcomes clients achieve, Why it matters. Mimic the voice, tone, style and language of the document. But write at an 8th grade reading level. Incorporate storytelling wherever possible to help draw the reader into the narrative. Do not use over-the-top language. Do not make it sound like AI. Use first person where appropriate.
Step 5: Revise the Draft
The AI will generate a 150-300 word summary based on these sections. The result is a DRAFT. Don’t just publish yet. You’ll need to edit the copy to put it more in your words and remove the AI fingerprint.
But this will help you develop a customer-centric narrative that is clear, concise, and impactful. Now your LinkedIn profile will more effectively speak to your target audience. The best part? You’re using real client stories to build credibility and trust with future leads.
Bonus Tip: Simplify the Language
If your writing style tends to be somewhat academic or complex, AI can make your narrative more accessible. Ask the AI to write for an 8th-grade reading level. This ensures your content is easier to read for a busy audience who are quickly scanning. Using simple language doesn’t diminish your expertise—it makes you feel more approachable and easier to understand, which is crucial for attracting inbound leads.
Why This Method Works for LinkedIn Profile Optimization
Your LinkedIn profile is often the first place a potential client will go to check you out. If your About section shares customer success stories and clearly articulates your value proposition, it helps build TRUST. It helps attract inbound leads. It helps convert those leads into opportunities.
Using customer stories and adopting the language from client testimonials, you’re much more likely to engage and inspire your audience. And demonstrating real-world results builds trust.
By using modern AI tools, you can speed up the process and discover insights and connections that might not be obvious to you. And that’s how you craft a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.
Final Thoughts
In summary:
- Grab the testimonials and drop them into a document.
- Add the stories behind each testimonial.
- Feed the document to AI and ask it for a summary (see my prompt sample above)
- Revise to “de-ai-ize” the language and make it your own.
- Publish that sucker!
- Use the document to build additional content about those client stories.
What do you think? Would this method work for you?
If you want help optimizing your profile, check out our course, LinkedIn Profile Mastery. It will walk you through every section of your profile to help you transform it into a tool for attracting your ideal audience. You'll get video training, workbooks, templates and frameworks to guide you every step of the way.
About the Author: Candyce Edelen is founder of PropelGrowth, where she teaches B2B entrepreneurs and sales professionals to build authentic, human-to-human relationships on LinkedIn. Her strategies have helped clients shift from spammy automation to genuine outreach, resulting in higher-quality leads and increased sales. Candyce is passionate about helping professionals build trust and create a reliable, predictable sales pipeline. She's also a firm believer that you can't automate a relationship.
The LinkedIn Prospecting Accelerator will help you supercharge your effectiveness on LinkedIn through live group training and coaching with like-minded colleagues. Each session focuses on optimizing a particular skill to improve your effectiveness on LinkedIn. It is particularly beneficial for those who enjoy being part of a community and need accountability to stay on track.
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