How sexy are you?

People are bombarded by so many marketing messages today that to stand out and grab their attention, you've got to be SEXY.

Sexy here means that you "obviously have what they desperately want."

Who's "they"?

Headhunters, HR directors, talent scouts, etc.

When these folks read your profile, do they go "Wow, this guy / girl is really hot. I (or my client) could really use his/her services."

Or do they go "Man, this person is doing a terrible job of promoting himself/herself. I can't believe I just lost five minutes reading this boring stuff, five minutes which I will never get back."

I'm being facetious, but the game is really that serious.

Confucius once said that it is impossible to master men without mastering words. Although I'm infinitely less wise that Confucius, I venture to say that without mastering words, you cannot project the right image and, therefore, will not be able to profit from the incredible opportunities unleashed by social software like LinkedIn.