A well-executed "elevator speech" is a powerful business tool. During the time it takes for an average elevator ride, you need to sum up what your company makes or does and get your listener excited about it. 
 
Your LinkedIn Summary section is similar to an elevator speech. It's one of the first things a person sees when looking at your profile, and you should use it to get the reader excited about you and your company.
 
Your Summary should:
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  • Act like a cover letter for the rest of your profile
  • Include your most strategic keywords
  • Move your reader to action

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Your LinkedIn Summary can include up to 2,000 characters, and I suggest you use every character. Use a word processor, do a spell-check and character count, and then paste it into your profile.

 

Here are some ideas to help you better tell your unique business story and improve your chances of being found by the right people.

 

10 Great Ways to Beef Up Your LinkedIn Profile Summary Section

 

1.  Describe briefly the types of jobs you have had and any major accomplishments.  Don't waste this space with all the details. That's what the Experience section is for. But if there is something you want to summarize or highlight, do it here.

 

2.  Describe your perfect customer, vendor relationship, employee, etc. If you're a job seeker, describe your perfect job.

 

3.  Include a direct quote from a really good customer testimonial or recommendation letter. If you want to share the whole testimonial or recommendation, include the quote in your Summary and then direct the reader to the complete document in your Professional Gallery.

 

For information on how to utilize your Professional Gallery, download my white paper "Don't Whine About LinkedIn's Changes--Capitalize on Them" in the Free Resources section of my website.

 

4.  Describe what makes you, your company, and your products unique.

 

5.  Describe how people can help you accomplish your goals. Your connections would really like to help you, but they may not know how to do it.

 

6.  Describe briefly any business relationships that have brought about superior results.

 

7.  Include a specific call to action so 

call to action summarythe reader knows what to do next. Here's how I use calls to action in my profile.

 

8.  It's important to use a significant portion of your Summary section to share forward-thinking ideas and thoughts. Outline new markets or new job opportunities you are considering and the type of relationships that could assist you in that effort. Don't just duplicate the Experience and Education sections that revolve around your history.

 

9.  Describe your company's products, services, history, locations, etc. This description should include the critical keywords your company uses in its website.

 

10. Use your Professional Gallery (this is directly below your Summary text) to display video, audio, articles, slide shows, and links to websites.

 

To view my full Summary and get some new ideas for improving your profile, check out my LinkedIn profile.