Academy / Master Outbound Sales / Chapter 2 - How to optimize my LinkedIn profile ?

Chapter 2 – How to optimize my LinkedIn profile ?

Course content

Resources

3:00

What's the difference between a free and a paid LinkedIn account ?

The difference between LinkedIn’s free Basic account and the paid Sales Navigator plans mainly comes down to the depth of prospecting tools and professional features.

A free account only provides a handful of filters such as location, industry, or current company, and searches are capped at roughly 1,000 visible profiles.

Sales Navigator unlocks more than fifty advanced filters, including seniority, function, and time in role, and lets you view up to about 2,500 leads or 1,000 accounts per search, which makes targeting much more precise.

  • Lead management is also far more powerful with Sales Navigator. Basic accounts do not allow saving leads or accounts, whereas Sales Navigator lets you build organized lists, receive personalized lead recommendations, and get real-time alerts when prospects change jobs or when their companies are mentioned in the news. Many users report being able to save thousands of leads, often up to ten thousand.
  • Messaging is another key difference. Free users cannot send InMails, while all Sales Navigator subscriptions include 50 InMail credits each month to reach people outside your network.
  • Collaboration and integrations are also part of the upgrade: Advanced and Advanced Plus include tools like TeamLink and Smart Links, and Advanced Plus offers deep CRM integrations with platforms such as Salesforce or HubSpot.

 

Pricing reflects these capabilities. Basic is free, while Sales Navigator Core starts at around $119.99 per month (or €119.99 in Europe), Advanced at $179.99 (€164.99), and Advanced Plus is available on custom pricing.

In short, Basic is best for simple networking and job search, whereas Sales Navigator is designed for sales professionals who need advanced prospecting, lead management, and collaboration features.

How to manage connection requests weekly quotas ?

LinkedIn places limits on how many connection requests you can send each week, especially if you’re using a free account :

  • LinkedIn Free Accounts sending Connection Request WITHOUT a note: around 150-250 connection requests/per week
  • LinkedIn Free Accounts sending Connection Request WITH a note: limited to 10 connection requests PER MONTHS (yes you read that right…) and limited to 200 characters (instead of 300 characters)
  • Premium / Sales Navigator / Recruiter Paid accounts around 150-250 connection requests/per week with or without notes. Connection requests remain at 300 characters.

 

If you’ve got a new LinkedIn account, we recommend that you warm up your account:

  • LinkedIn Connection Requests: Start with 10/day and increase by 10 until you reach the recommended value of 40. You could go further but we recommend to not exceed 80/day.

 

The idea is always to act more like a real person and less like a robot to play into LinkedIn limits and stay safe.

How to optimize my LinkedIn profile ?

Introduction

In B2B prospecting, it’s often the very first moment of truth.

When a lead receives your message, one of the first things they’ll do is check your profile. That click decides whether your message gets answered, ignored, or reported.

In that sense, your profile works like a landing page, and every section contributes to building trust or losing it.

Profile picture

Start with the essentials. Your profile picture should be recent, professional, and high quality.

A clear headshot with a neutral background and appropriate attire immediately makes you more approachable.

You should adapt it to the audience you want to address, birds of a feather flock together.

Startups and Early-Stage Tech Companies

For younger, smaller teams, you want to show approachability and energy. A natural smile, casual but clean clothing, and a bright background work well. Founders and early employees in startups often prefer to connect with someone who looks dynamic and relatable rather than overly corporate.

Scale-ups and Mid-Market (Series A/B)

At this stage, companies become more structured, and their hiring processes are more formal. Here, opt for a slightly sharper look: neutral background, professional attire (shirt or blazer), and good lighting. You still want to look approachable, but with a stronger emphasis on professionalism than at the early stage.

Large Enterprises or Corporate Accounts

When targeting enterprise decision-makers, your photo should project authority and reliability. Formal clothing (blazer, possibly tie depending on your industry), a plain or office-style background, and a confident posture work best. People in corporate environments are more likely to trust someone who looks polished and business-ready.

Agencies (Marketing, Recruiting, Consulting)

Agencies value creativity and strong personal branding. You can allow yourself a bit more personality here: vivid colors, a background that stands out, or a slightly less formal outfit. The goal is to balance professionalism with originality, to look like someone who thinks outside the box.

It’s a subtle cue, but it matters: a friendly, credible face already moves the needle before you’ve said a word.

Banner image

Next, make use of the banner image. Most people leave this section empty, but that’s a missed opportunity. Think of it as a visual headline.

Whether it reflects your company’s value proposition, your role, or a key result you help deliver, it should quickly orient your visitor. Something as simple as a clean design with a phrase like “Helping SaaS teams scale outbound” can quietly reinforce your positioning without any friction.

Headline

The headline is perhaps the most important real estate on your profile. It follows you everywhere: in searches, message previews, and LinkedIn’s suggestions.

Instead of using your default job title, reframe your headline to speak to the outcome you bring.
For example:

  • “Helping SaaS companies increase revenue through targeted lead generation”
    is much more compelling than “Account Executive at ABC Inc.”

 

It speaks directly to the value you deliver.

About

The About section should tell a story, not just list responsibilities. Speak to your audience as if they were already considering working with you.

  • Describe the types of companies or people you help.

  • Explain the problems they typically face.

  • Show how you solve them.

 

This is also where you can subtly showcase past results. If you’ve helped sales teams double their reply rate or reduce ramp time, say it — but keep it natural.

  • End with a light invitation to connect:
    “Open to sharing ideas if you’re scaling outbound right now.”

Experience

Your Experience section should echo the same value-driven approach.
Focus on results, not tasks.

Add certifications or relevant training that demonstrate you’re investing in your craft. These small details add credibility, especially when prospects are comparing dozens of profiles.

Featured section

One often neglected area is the Featured section. Use it to showcase:

  • Case studies

  • Articles

  • Testimonials

  • High-performing LinkedIn posts

 

These act as proof points — they show rather than tell what you can do, giving visitors a reason to explore further.

Skills & recommendations

Don’t forget about skills and recommendations.

  • Add only skills relevant to your role.

  • Ask past clients or colleagues for short recommendations.

 

These third-party voices act as powerful social proof right where your audience is already looking.

LinkedIn URL & activity

Finally, clean up your LinkedIn URL.

Something like linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname adds polish and makes your profile easier to share.

And if you really want to stand out: be active.

  • Post regularly

  • Comment thoughtfully on industry conversations

  • Share insights that reflect your expertise

 

You don’t need long essays — just adding your voice keeps your presence credible and alive.

Now that you have the basics, let’s move on to the next chapter : How to successfully reach out to my leads on LinkedIn!

Course content