CEOs: Build Trust Proactively Using LinkedIn

Trust. It opens so many doors, doesn’t it?

But trust has to be built; it cannot be demanded. And building trust requires that other important T word . . . time.

It takes time for people to get to know who you are. They watch how you behave in different situations, how you treat others, how others treat you, how you handle both success and adversity, and so much more.

What are they looking for? They are trying to predict the future based on what they can glean from your actions: Are you competent? Are you a person of good character? Are your intentions (and motivations) clear and aligned with theirs? 

All of that assessment takes time, sometimes a lot of time. And patience.

What if you could speed up the process? No, not a time machine, though that would be cool.

But, almost as cool and more real-world, you can use your LinkedIn profile and activity to make a history of all of these things easily visible to prospects. People can see in a few minutes what would normally take months or years to learn.

All of the elements that demonstrate your expertise are visible on LinkedIn: 

• Your work history, your education, your certifications, awards, and accomplishments can all be visible. 
• People can see the way you handle yourself – how you give back to the community or your industry, how you treat others, and how much they respect you. 
• And you can be clear about what you are trying to accomplish and what matters to you.

When people know these things about you, they feel more comfortable with you. You get to a place of trust faster, and that serves you in many, many ways, including allowing you to make faster progress on your initiatives and goals.

For CEOs, this is a huge opportunity. Building trust proactively pays off across all the facets of your business, and with all your stakeholders: customers, employees, leadership teams, investors, partners, and even the media. 

Here are 23 ways to get started:

Demonstrate Competence

Before someone invests their time or money with you, they want to know that you know what you’re doing and that you’re good at it. As researchers say, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Use your LinkedIn profile to clearly demonstrate your expertise and success to date.

#1 Quantify accomplishments in each of your roles.
Go beyond broad statements and include dollar amounts and percentages and time periods. Talk about ROI, increased revenue, decreased costs, number of employees, etc.

#2 Link to podcasts in your Featured section.
Were you on a podcast that you really enjoyed or where you offered important insights? These links help people learn about you and your business.

#3 Link to articles about you.
Have you been included in a 30 Under 30 list, Top CEO list, Fastest Growing Companies list, or Best Places to Work list? Link to those in your Featured section. 

#4 Use a cover photo of you giving a keynote or speaking on a panel.
A picture is worth a thousand words—these photos give real-world validity to your expertise.

#5 Include significant honors and awards.
Add the Honors & Awards section and carefully curate it to demonstrate relevant honors and awards that show others see the results of your work.

#6 Include patents.
If you have patents, use the Patents section to describe the patent. If you have dozens of patents, you can list the most important and then say you have X more patents. Or if the keywords will be useful, list them all.

#7 Include board and advisory roles in your Experience section.
Board and advisory roles show how respected you are. If you want to promote the business or organization, you can include a brief explanation of what it does. But you can also leave these entries without a description to keep the focus on your primary role. 

#8 Add author or speaker to your Experience section.
If you have written a book or enjoy public speaking, add a position description for your work as an author or speaker. Provide information about what you talk or write about, so people see your expertise in the industry. Also include the book in your Publications section.

#9 List relevant certifications and licenses.
Consider adding the Certifications section to your profile, so people see that you are committed to your profession. You can also use this section to provide insight into your hobbies, such as including a pilot or scuba diver certification. Competence in one area implies competence in other areas as well.

#10 Connect with respected thought leaders in your industry.
Anyone who visits your profile can see what connections you have in common. When those connections are someone they respect and trust, it becomes easier to trust you.

Show Character

Actions speak louder than words when it comes to demonstrating character. People need to see the history of someone who does the right thing, follows through on promises, and cares about issues other than money and personal success. 

#11 Add volunteer work to show you give back to the community.
Add the Volunteering section to your profile to let people see that you care about your community and making the world a better place.

#12 Include what you learned in each role in your Experience section.
Share what you overcame or learned in your prior jobs, in addition to your accomplishments. Be honest and positive but let people see that you’ve grown and changed over the years.

#13 Share committee and nonprofit leadership roles in the Organizations section.
Add these entries to your LinkedIn profile, so people know that you use your expertise and time to help others.

#14 Post consistently, ideally at the same time of day.
Be visible and predictable on LinkedIn. These habits demonstrate stability, reliability, and engagement.

#15 Say you are going to post something at a particular day/time, and then do it.
This offers one more way to show that you follow through on doing what you say you’ll do. Every time you deliver, you put another rung on the ladder of building trust. Pro Tip: Schedule the post to ensure you deliver as promised.

#16 Ask for feedback and let people see you take action on the recommendations.
This kind of post shows that you are listening, and when you act on the feedback you score again. The value of this kind of post and response cannot be overstated.

#17 Model the behavior you expect from your team.
Your employees are watching you, and what you do matters more than what you say. Use LinkedIn to show your team what you want them to do, by doing it yourself first.

#18 Allow people to see that you aren’t always right, and things don’t always go your way.
Similar to #12, let people see that you sometimes struggle or make mistakes. These posts make you real and relatable, and they show you’re human and not afraid to try and fail and learn from it.

#19 Be kind to everyone you interact with online.
Posting negatively or losing your cool can wreck your credibility and wipe out all the work you’ve done to build trust.

Make Your Intentions Visible

The history of your jobs and accomplishments help people see what you’ve done and how you’ve grown professionally. Your engagement and extracurricular activities help them see how you treat others and that you are human and reliable, likable and interesting. But neither of those things gets to the deeper level of what motivates you and what you truly value. You need to be open and obvious to reveal your intentions.

#20 Share your vision and your “why” in your About section.
Talk about your origin story and why you do what you do. Don’t be afraid to go deep and be real.

#21 Talk about your mission.
What are you trying to accomplish now and why is it important to you? How will you know when you’ve achieved success? Speak honestly and often, so people see your commitment and passion.

#22 Tell stories that illustrate your values.
People love stories that deliver a hero, a challenge, a victory. Share the stories that inspire you and that will inspire others.

#23 Like and comment on posts from others who share your mission and values.
Find your people and engage with them. You will be encouraged. They will too, and people will see that you believe and follow through on your mission and values.

How Is LinkedIn Working for You?

Your LinkedIn profile and activity offer a window into who you are as a leader and a human. They showcase your expertise, accomplishments, and the way you interact with others. 

Your presence delivers a condensed history that allows people to gain insights into your character, competence, and motivations within minutes, instead of months or years.

When people trust you, they will give you their loyalty, time, and money. Leads and referrals become customers; recruits become hires, investors become champions, and influencers become partners.

By leveraging LinkedIn, you can expedite the trust-building process, opening doors to new opportunities and faster progress toward your goals. 

If you’re unsure about how to do this, we can help. Get a free consultation and we’ll talk about building trust in your specific situation.