"Before I meet someone for the first time, I send them a link to my profile. I think that—when we meet someone—the entire first meeting (as well as the rest of the relationship) is a confirmation (or correction) of our pre-existing expectations. I send my profile in advance because I think it will establish the right expectations. Looking at my LinkedIn profile is a lot like meeting me."
—Artie Isaac (Vistage chair, CEO coach, and  creativity trainer—convening CEO peer groups)

When my friend Artie Isaac said that, I had to stop and ask him to repeat it. Then I realized, holy cow, this is one of the best overall LinkedIn profile strategies I've ever heard—and I was bummed I didn't think of it myself!

If you aren't using this brilliant strategy, it just might be the reason your LinkedIn profile is not generating the profile views, connection requests or, more importantly, meeting requests/phone calls/emails etc. you'd like to see from the right people.

However, if you're going to direct people to your profile, you need to be certain it adequately reflects not only your experience but also your personality and passion—in other words, exactly what makes you tick.
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7 quick and easy profile updates

You only get one chance to make a powerful first impression. These seven simple profile tweaks will help you put your best foot forward and engage with the people who look at your profile.

1.  Photo. Be sure your profile photo is current and you're wearing your typical business attire, because you want them to recognize you when you meet.

2.  First person. Write your profile in the first person because that makes it easier to draw someone in and quickly put them at ease. Third person can make you appear distant.

3.  Tone. Be sure the tone of your profile reflects your personality—such as friendly, funny, helpful, etc.—while still keeping in mind that LinkedIn is a professional site.

4.  Concern for others. If you share your time and talents with nonprofit organizations, you may wish to include a reference to this in your Summary section or add separate Job Experience entries to share more specific details about your involvement with particular groups. Adding media to these profile sections can make them more interesting—and you can also request recommendations. These references can be great conversation starters.

5.  LinkedIn activity. Any status updates or published posts you originate or like, comment on or share will be a reflection of your personality and style. Therefore, be sure to think about how it might be perceived before clicking any of those buttons.

People can review your current activity when visiting your profile by clicking the down arrow in your top box and selecting View Recent Activity. This allows the reader to get a feel for the information and type of audience you're passionate about.

6.  Interests. Add the Interests section to your profile and include your most important personal interests (without "going all Facebook"). These can also be good conversation starters.

7.  Groups. Join LinkedIn groups that reflect some of your personal interests—but be sure they are consistent with the professional brand you want to display. For instance, displaying certain political groups on your profile may offend some of your audience.

After you update your profile, ask a close friend or business associate if it is a positive and accurate representation of who you are—or, as my friend Artie said, is looking at it a lot like meeting you.