If your prospects are on LinkedIn, you should be on LinkedIn.

But if your LinkedIn profile makes you look like you’re in sales, you may be making your prospects even colder than if you’d never connected at all.

Mandy McEwen shares this wisdom in Episode 169 of B2B Power Hour.

“Don’t look like an SDR or BDR,” she says. “I can teach you all the amazing Sales Navigator tactics that exist, but if your profile is crap and you look like a salesperson and it’s lacking value… then your efforts are not gonna work out.”

So how exactly do you craft a LinkedIn profile that warms up your prospects instead of scaring them away?

Your headline is your first impression

If your headline is “BDR at X Company,” all that tells people is that you’re trying to sell them something.

But we’re not saying you should make up a title like Technology Consultant or Business Accelerator.

There’s a simple formula for your LinkedIn headline. Start with the pain you solve and who you can help. Then add a bit of personal flair.

Jason Bay is in sales, but he doesn’t start his headline with his job title. He leads with *how* he can help (turn complete strangers into paying customers), then *who* (B2B reps & sales teams). Then he adds a personal element with his nickname.

Maria Bross also shares *who* she helps (elite GTM teams) and *how* (AI). Plus, she proves her credibility by adding that she’s a LinkedIn Top Sales Voice and adds a personal touch by sharing that she’s mom to a toddler.


Everything above the fold needs to be gold

Pretend your LinkedIn profile is your website. Assume that no one will scroll unless convinced.

According to Mandy McEwen, your LinkedIn profile needs to be a landing page that shares the pains your prospects have and the solutions you can offer.

That means you need to optimize the elements at the top of the page: banner, hashtags, link. You need to make it clear which problems you solve and why you’re the most credible person to solve them.

LinkedIn influencer Sam McKenna makes it clear who she serves with hashtags like #sdr, #saas, and #sales. She also makes it clear what problems she solves with #linkedintips and a list of services in her banner. Plus, she brings immense credibility with logos like Google, Salesforce, Outreach—even LinkedIn.

Your About section blends experience with how you can help

If your headline, your banner, and everything else at the top of your LinkedIn profile is enticing enough, you may just get a prospect to read (or at least skim) your About section.

Not to sound like a broken record, but again, make it about them. While the section is quite literally about *you* that doesn’t mean you can’t focus the narrative on who you help: your prospects.

It’s also a great place to include stories that will give you credibility. This can include struggles you’ve overcome, big wins you’ve earned, and people you’ve helped.

Stephanie White starts her About section with who she helps and with what. Then she includes a CTA to connect with her on LinkedIn.

Riley Blaisdell’s About section is much more personal and vulnerable. It shows his experience closing 6- and 7-figure deals, getting laid off, then transitioning to tech sales. And it shows how building a personal brand on LinkedIn helped him increase his job interviews and eventually land a role he loves.

Your content seals the deal

You know that Dave Gerhardt quote: Copywriting is sales at scale.

Well, the same can be true of all your content.

Your content works around the clock to sell your message.

That includes all the posts you share on LinkedIn—and all the comments you add to existing conversations.

Melissa Gaglione highlights her video content on her profile. Video prospecting is her specialty so she puts her videos front and center.

Caspian Lewke, notoriously half-man, half-meme, posts lots of humorous content about his life in sales. And that works because he’s a seller selling into a sales audience. If you’re not so lucky, though, you can still use humor in your content. Just make the content about your prospect’s problems rather than yours.

How does your LinkedIn profile stack up?

Take a look at your own LinkedIn profile. Are you focusing on your prospects’ pains? Or is it all about you? Are you sharing content? Or just lurking?

The best time to improve your profile is yesterday, but today is great too.

If you need any more help with your LinkedIn profile, call the Sales Support line: +1 (303) 578-8581.