#94 Strong LinkedIn Profiles for IP Experts Start with Positioning

00:00:03: Welcome to a personal growth episode of the IP Management Voice.

00:00:07: In our Personal Growth series, we'll guide you on how to enhance your IP system contribution and maximize your professional

00:00:14: impact.

00:00:15: Tune in to gain valuable insights that help you advance personally and in your career as an IP expert!

00:00:29: We explore how clear positioning turns expertise into relevance, builds recognition and helps the right clients understand why an IP expert matters.

00:00:55: Due diligence happens.

00:00:56: Exactly,

00:00:57: a junior lawyer on the lead investor's due diligence team finds like one missing signature On a three-year old intellectual property assignment contract from some early contractor.

00:01:06: Oh wow yeah.

00:01:07: And just like that The champagne goes back in the fridge The valuation gets slashed by thirty percent and the deal is effectively dead

00:01:14: Which I mean it happens far more often than anyone In startup ecosystem actually wants to admit.

00:01:20: Welcome To this deep dive.

00:01:23: Today we are exploring pretty massive disconnect in the professional world.

00:01:28: We're looking at why some of the most brilliant technical and legal minds on the planet, these IP experts who build that protection are well they practically invisible online?

00:01:38: Yeah!

00:01:38: And we're going to break down why strategic positioning on LinkedIn is basically the ultimate business development tool for fixing that visibility problem.

00:01:46: because The central tension here IP professionals

00:01:50: are

00:01:51: highly trained in the nuances of patents and trademarks, and trade secrets.

00:01:55: Right they know all that inside now

00:01:57: But they're almost never trained.

00:01:59: marketing?

00:02:01: No not at all.

00:02:02: They understand deep intricacies on law but don't necessarily understand psychology online positioning

00:02:10: which leads to what we see all over LinkedIn every single day.

00:02:13: You step onto the platform, and instead of seeing like compelling business solutions you just find thousands of sterile digital CVs.

00:02:21: yeah it's just endless lists

00:02:23: right Profiles that essentially act as storage lockers for job titles, university degrees and just exhaustive bulleted lists of legal services.

00:02:33: I mean That is the default behavior when someone lacks a marketing framework right?

00:02:36: They document their past.

00:02:38: Yeah But a CV Is essentially an autopsy Of your career.

00:02:41: Oh i like that phrase An autopsy

00:02:43: yeah because it proves you survived The last twenty years but It doesn't give A potential client any indication of how Your brain can actually solve the burning problem they woke up with this morning

00:02:53: and that perfectly sets up the mission of our deep dive today.

00:02:56: So whether you are an IP professional trying to figure out how to communicate your worth,

00:03:01: or

00:03:01: a business leader looking to hire the right protection...

00:03:04: Or really anyone trying to translate complex skills into online demand?

00:03:08: Exactly!

00:03:09: You're going find this fascinating.

00:03:11: we're gonna look at why having a perfectly accurate factually correct profile is often the exact reason.

00:03:22: So we have to start by understanding why highly trained experts default To those exhaustive lists in the first place

00:03:28: right.

00:03:29: Why do they do it?

00:03:29: It

00:03:29: comes down to a concept We can call The Blur.

00:03:32: From the internal perspective of the expert.

00:03:35: They possess incredibly broad competence because

00:03:37: they've spent decades doing this

00:03:39: exactly, they Have mastered patent filings trade secret litigation Portfolio management licensing agreements you name it.

00:03:46: they do

00:03:47: and to them that breadth is like the ultimate flex.

00:03:51: It's the harder and proof of their professional maturity.

00:03:54: They think they are signaling to the market, look at this massive menu of capabilities.

00:03:58: I am a highly capable one-stop shop

00:04:00: But The Market doesn't perceive a menu do they?

00:04:03: No...the market perceives a grayblur.

00:04:07: We really have to remember how BtoB buying behavior actually works.

00:04:11: A stressed out CEO does not wake up, pour a cup of coffee and say I think we'll go buy an assortment of intellectual property services today.

00:04:20: Right no one has ever spoken that sentence in the history.

00:04:26: urgent business tension, like a competitor is eating their market share.

00:04:31: Or an investor is demanding a risk assessment?

00:04:33: Exactly!

00:04:33: So if your profile just lists twenty different IP services under really generic headline.

00:04:39: you're placing massive cognitive load on the buyer.

00:04:42: You are asking them to do work.

00:04:44: Yes...you

00:04:45: ask that stressed-out executive to do heavy lifting of figuring out which of your bullet points solves this specific nightmare.

00:04:51: Okay wait hold up.

00:04:52: I get the theory behind reducing cognitive load, but if i am an expert and just spent fifteen years mastering twenty distinct legal disciplines you are asking me to hide nineteen of them in my back room.

00:05:03: Well yes!

00:05:04: But that feels like professional suicide.

00:05:07: If im a multi-level department store your telling me put one single item into window display?

00:05:13: Aren't these experts leaving massive amounts money on their table when they don�t list everything?

00:05:19: That is the universal fear.

00:05:21: It's what keeps people trapped in the blur.

00:05:23: if feels super counterintuitive to narrow down, right?

00:05:26: But positioning is not about making yourself smaller.

00:05:29: it Is about acting as a strategic filter.

00:05:32: okay I'm back.

00:05:33: that of

00:05:33: it requires a fundamental shift from an expert identity To a market

00:05:38: role.

00:05:38: let's draw hard line between those two concepts.

00:05:40: What's the difference?

00:05:41: so an expert identify focuses entirely on your qualifications.

00:05:45: its statement i know intellectual property

00:05:47: law Okay and a market role.

00:05:49: A Market Role is entirely different, it says I help this specific audience solve the specific strategic business

00:05:55: problem.

00:05:56: So its'the difference between declaring what you are versus declaring actual outcome that you deliver for a specific person.

00:06:03: That's core of issue.

00:06:04: You can absolutely still provide that massive twenty service menu once your actually in-room with client

00:06:11: But do have to get into room first.

00:06:12: Exactly Positioning is the tool you use to get into a room.

00:06:15: You need one sharp, highly relevant entry point in your broader expertise.

00:06:21: So The right people actually stop scrolling

00:06:23: Right so they understand value and three seconds And remember six months later.

00:06:28: To see how this works we really have to look at professionals who've already cracked code.

00:06:33: How do they translate abstract legal concepts Into visceral market role?

00:06:39: Yeah, looking at real examples is the best way to understand

00:06:41: this.

00:06:42: And just a quick note for you listening.

00:06:44: links to all four of the exact LinkedIn profiles we're going to break down today are right in the show notes so you can pull them up and see these psychological triggers in action for yourself.

00:06:53: Our first source profile Is honestly a master class.

00:06:57: In this translation Maria Boykova-Winance

00:07:01: What does she do differently?

00:07:02: She completely bypasses the standard approach of listing legal categories.

00:07:07: Like, she does not lead with I-advise on trademarks and IP strategy...

00:07:11: Which is that default trap we just talked about?

00:07:13: Right!

00:07:14: Instead, she frames intellectual property entirely as high stakes decision making.

00:07:19: Oh interesting Her positioning targets the exact moment right before an IP issue transforms into a catastrophic expense.

00:07:26: like what kind of moment

00:07:28: She focuses on impending company exits, rigorous due diligence processes or entering a hostile new market.

00:07:35: Ah

00:07:36: so she is selling certainty to leaders who are standing on the edge of a cliff?

00:07:40: Exactly that!

00:07:41: Because if I am CEO gearing up to sell my company for two hundred million dollars... ...I really don't care about the mechanical administrative process of filing a trademark.

00:07:50: No you

00:07:50: don't!!

00:07:51: I care about hidden IP flaw blowing up acquisition in the eleventh hour.

00:07:55: So she isn't selling legal paperwork.

00:07:58: She's selling risk mitigation to the people holding the heaviest bags of risks.

00:08:01: That is a

00:08:02: perfect way to articulate her value!

00:08:04: She understands that IP problems often appear when it is almost too late to fix them cheaply.

00:08:09: Her entire profile speaks the language of leader who simply cannot afford A single surprise.

00:08:15: Now contrasts with an entirely different kind of pressure cooker.

00:08:19: What if the company Isn't in established corporation Trepping for massive exit?

00:08:24: but a scrappy startup trying to raise their Series A funding.

00:08:27: That brings up our second profile, Elenet Eppelfeldt.

00:08:30: She takes a completely different angle.

00:08:32: Who's she talking too?

00:08:34: She aims squarely at technology founders legal teams and inventors in the fast-paced startup ecosystem.

00:08:41: Because the panic of a starter founder is highly specific isn't it?

00:08:44: They are lying awake at three zero a.m.. Wondering a venture capitalist will actually believe their competitive moat is defensible?

00:08:50: Yes,

00:08:51: and ellen he taps directly into that.

00:08:53: three zero am panic for her audience.

00:08:55: IP Is not just a defensive shield It is the core driver of startup valuation.

00:09:00: so she addresses The founders urgent need for funding readiness

00:09:04: exactly.

00:09:04: Founders do not experience intellectual property as some separate legal category.

00:09:08: they experience it through aggressive uncomfortable questions from potential investors.

00:09:13: Stuff like, who actually owns the code?

00:09:16: Can your competitor just copy our algorithm tomorrow.

00:09:18: Those are the exact questions Elanit prepares them for.

00:09:21: her profile connects IP work to tangible business milestones Like communicating with investors protecting trade secrets before a pitch and Justifying high valuation.

00:09:32: so her positioning is narrow enough To be deeply memorable to a stressed founder but broad enough to cover A highly lucrative field of advisory services.

00:09:40: you nailed it.

00:09:41: The fascinating through line here between Maria and Illinit is that neither of them are leading with their diploma.

00:09:48: Not at all!

00:09:49: They're leading the client's most acute pain points, they've taken the abstract ivory tower concept of intellectual property and translated it into the gritty boots-on-the-ground reality of their target audience.

00:10:01: It is a brilliant pivot but you know we also need to examine how positioning adapts when threat isn't ruined acquisition or failed funding round.

00:10:09: What else could be?

00:10:10: What if the problem is slow, invisible internal leakage?

00:10:14: Oh wow.

00:10:14: Okay that's a completely different posture.

00:10:17: We're moving away from external panics and looking inside walls of massive established corporation.

00:10:25: Which where Thomas Kierkins enters picture.

00:10:30: Are you an IP professional Looking to grow your practice through digital channels?

00:10:35: Then check out the resource hub linked in show notes.

00:10:38: It built specifically for IP experts who want to improve their visibility and attract new clients.

00:10:44: You'll find tools, templates and strategies for content marketing linked in business development And much more.

00:10:52: everything is designed To help you grow

00:10:54: smarter

00:10:54: without needing to become a marketing expert yourself.

00:10:58: Take a look and see what fits your goals.

00:11:02: end of advertisement.

00:11:06: His positioning is radically different and it is ruthlessly specific.

00:11:10: Who is his audience?

00:11:11: His audience as the chief financial officer, his entire focus on revenue recovery Licensing compliance royalties an MFN clauses.

00:11:19: Okay

00:11:19: Let's pause there because mfn most favored nation Is one of those terms people not add in boardrooms but might secretly need a refresher

00:11:28: on.

00:11:28: Fair enough

00:11:29: treat me like a smart middle schooler for a second.

00:11:31: Yeah How does an M F N clause actually leak Revenue?

00:11:34: And why doesn't CFO even care?

00:11:35: Okay.

00:11:36: Imagine you license your proprietary software to company A for a million dollars per year?

00:11:40: Got it!

00:11:41: Your contract has the most favored nation clause, which basically promises Company A that they will always get their absolute best price.

00:11:48: Now one year later...your sales team is desperate to close deal with Company B so they secretly offer them the same software for eight hundred thousand dollars.

00:11:56: Oh

00:11:56: I see the trap.

00:11:57: Yeah Company A's MFN clause is instantly triggered.

00:12:01: You are now legally obligated to lower company A price and you likely owe them a massive retroactive refund.

00:12:08: That sounds like a nightmare.

00:12:10: And

00:12:10: most large companies have thousands of these complex licensing agreements overlapping each other.

00:12:15: Tonus translates that dense technical contract language into pure financial relevance, right?

00:12:22: He shows CFOs how their existing agreements contain hidden value massive compliance gaps or under reported royalty streams.

00:12:29: so he is literally walking in the CFO's office and saying you are bleeding cash and don't even know it precisely because if And

00:12:50: his superpower is his strict uncompromising focus.

00:12:54: I want to be really clear about this.

00:12:55: based on our source material, Thomas only offers licensing compliance controlling Full stop.

00:13:00: Wait,

00:13:00: only that?

00:13:01: Literally Only That!

00:13:02: He offers no other services... he doesn't use this as some clever hook to eventually cross-sell patent filings or general trademark work later on.

00:13:10: Oh,

00:13:11: that's incredibly disciplined.

00:13:12: It is.

00:13:12: His entire business identity is wrapped around finding that leaked revenue.

00:13:17: it gives IP leaders a tangible reason To connect their management practices with measurable financial outcomes.

00:13:24: But what if the threat to bottom line isn't bad contract?

00:13:27: What if the threat is outright theft?

00:13:30: That requires an entirely different defense strategy.

00:13:32: Right, which brings up a really interesting German profile from our research.

00:13:36: Yes, Andreas Jacob His profile addresses companies that are dealing with physical existential threats to their product

00:13:43: lines.

00:13:43: Physical products.

00:13:44: Yeah

00:13:44: He targets manufacturing and product companies that absolutely terrified of copycats plagiarism product piracy and unfair competition.

00:13:54: I mean, that is the ultimate nightmare for a hardware company.

00:13:56: you spend three years in R&D building an incredible physical products.

00:14:01: millions of dollars invested.

00:14:03: yeah You finally launch it.

00:14:04: It gets traction And six months later A cheap reverse engineered knockoff Floods market from overseas factory undercutting your price by half.

00:14:15: IP is positioned as aggressive market defense against exactly that.

00:14:19: He speaks to managers who realize their internal IP infrastructure-like, the actual mechanics of tracking and enforcing their rights are totally chaotic and disorganized...

00:14:29: So he's not just a lawyer you call when you want to sue someone once?

00:14:32: No!

00:14:32: He isn't offering one off legal advice for single lawsuit—he offers to act like an architect of his fortress.

00:14:40: He builds structured internal protection so they can systematically crush those copycats over time.

00:15:01: It really does!

00:15:03: The secret isn't a specific LinkedIn banner image or some clever buzzword, the secret is absolute clarity of purpose.

00:15:10: Every single one of them gives the reader a visceral, undeniable reason to care based on a specific business emergency.

00:15:17: Okay

00:15:18: so understanding the psychology behind this is half the battle but the other half is the mechanical execution

00:15:24: The actual profile?

00:15:25: Yeah How does a listener actually tear down their digital CV and rebuild it into these highly targeted profiles?

00:15:34: You really have to re-engineer And the most valuable real estate is The Headline.

00:15:41: Right, right under your name?

00:15:42: It must stop being a simple job title.

00:15:44: Partner at XYZ Law Firm or Senior IP Council tells the market absolutely nothing about value you deliver.

00:15:50: Nothing at all!

00:15:51: The headline has to act as billboard on crowded highway.

00:15:54: it must immediately signal this specific audience you serve and that specific problem you solve for them.

00:15:59: Got it...and then scroll down into About section where people make fatal error of pasting their cover letter.

00:16:07: Ugh, yes.

00:16:08: Nobody is reading your abhyte section to find out where you went to law school in two thousand five.

00:16:12: So what should it be?

00:16:13: The about-section needs a persuasive argument not chronological biography.

00:16:19: It should open by acknowledging the client's current painful reality and then clearly explain why their specific approach

00:16:27: solves that.

00:16:28: Okay but how do we handle this experience?

00:16:30: because I mean You still have prove actually did work.

00:16:33: Right, we can't just delete our entire work history.

00:16:36: No you don't delete it!

00:16:37: You recontextualize it?

00:16:38: I also... The experience section along with the featured section shifts from being a dusty archive to becoming strategic proof.

00:16:46: Okay i follow

00:16:47: instead of just listing the random tasks you performed at your last three jobs you frame that experience as proof That you have navigated these exact crises before.

00:16:56: but it's smart

00:16:57: And your featured links shouldn't just be boring legal updates.

00:17:00: They should be case studies, interviews or insights that reinforce your chosen market role

00:17:05: because this all ties back to the reality of how complex BW purchasing works?

00:17:09: Yeah I mean people do not buy high ticket strategically vital IP services with a single click after skimming a LinkedIn profile on a Tuesday afternoon.

00:17:19: exactly The goal of this kind of positioned profile isn't aggressive immediate conversion.

00:17:25: right The goal is recognition.

00:17:29: We are dealing with the concept of triggers.

00:17:31: Triggers, so you mean like setting digital tripwires?

00:17:34: Yeah pretty much

00:17:35: Like a potential client might read your profile today and have absolutely no need for you but You set a tripwire in their memory.

00:17:41: So when they step on a landmine six months from now Your name Is the alarm that goes off In there head.

00:17:46: That's perfect analogy.

00:17:47: Today They scroll past.

00:17:50: But because your positioning was so remarkably clear, you claimed a piece of real estate in their brain.

00:17:55: Right.

00:17:56: Then six months later the trigger event happens In The Real World A competitor rips off Their flagship product... ...a massive Series B funding round begins Or the CFO notices a discrepancy and a licensing audit.

00:18:11: When that panic hits, the market remembers the expert with the strongest association.

00:18:16: They do not remember the generalist who listed twenty vague legal services.

00:18:21: They remembered a specialist, who talked obsessively about saving startups during due diligence.

00:18:27: It really highlights the massive difference between visibility and association.

00:18:32: I see so many professionals Who are highly visible online.

00:18:36: they post five times a week?

00:18:38: They comment on every industry trend.

00:18:40: their faces Are constantly in my feed.

00:18:43: but visibility without positioning is wasted energy.

00:18:46: You can go viral every week, but if the market does not understand what specific problem you solve.

00:18:52: That attention will never convert into actual business.

00:18:54: Right positioning is the alchemy that turns visibility Into association?

00:18:59: You don't want the markets saying oh I saw that IP lawyers post today.

00:19:02: You want them saying that as a person who stops royalty leakage

00:19:05: It also acts as a boundary for the expert doesn't it?

00:19:07: when you know your exact Market roll you know What not to talk about exactly.

00:19:11: get distracted posting About some generic Supreme Court ruling just for engagement because it doesn't strengthen your specific tripwire.

00:19:19: It creates immense discipline

00:19:20: To bring all of this together, the fundamental takeaway is that expertise alone does not automatically generate demand.

00:19:29: You can be the smartest person in the room holding the most intricate perfect blueprints For that invisible rebar But if you cannot translate your blueprints into the buyer's reality... ...you will be ignored in favor.

00:19:41: someone who can.

00:19:43: A LinkedIn profile without positioning is exactly like an IP portfolio, Without commercial strategy.

00:19:49: It might hold incredibly valuable assets but if nobody on the outside can understand how to monetize or leverage them they are effectively useless.

00:19:57: So before you rush off to LinkedIn right now To tweak your headline Or upload a new banner image You have to step back and answer one foundational question What do I want to be known for?

00:20:07: Right Don't ask how it sounds smarter.

00:20:09: Ask what specific, highly valuable space in the market you intend to own.

00:20:39: Or even worse, all of them.

00:20:41: It is time to stop listing your services and start

00:21:06: translating.