--- title: Why Salespeople’s LinkedIn Profiles Don’t Sell description: Most salespeople display egotistical nonsense that reads like a resume showing how great a salesperson they are. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/LinkedIn.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/why-most-salespeoples-linkedin-profiles-stink#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Why Salespeople’s LinkedIn Profiles Don’t Sell October 5th, 2022 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![Photo of somebody using the LinkedIn app on a smartphone](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn.jpg?width=1500&height=995&name=LinkedIn.jpg) When a customer begins the buying journey for a complex sale, he or she usually wants to learn about their sales representative. This is true of both big-ticket consumer purchases as well as B2B products and services. The first place they are likely to go is LinkedIn. What will they find? Most salespeople display egotistical nonsense that reads like a resume showing how great a salesperson they are. These typical salespeople are using LinkedIn to target a new job, not to win new customers. What works much better is when salespeople showcase who they are as an individual and how they help customers. I frequently see salespeople feature accomplishments like “Exceeded quota for seven quarters” and say things like they are “a hard driving sales executive”. Personally, I’m intimidated if I look at my salesperson’s LinkedIn and it says how they bring in tons of sales. It makes me think I’ll be taken advantage of. It’s okay to discreetly mention membership in a “Chairman’s Club” in a bio or, better yet, list successively senior job titles, but the key is to focus on buyers not the next employer. ## Create a LinkedIn profile for buyers It’s much better for salespeople to write a bio showing they are knowledgeable about the industry. Buyers want to work with an expert in what’s important to them. I suggest writing a LinkedIn profile in the first person. Instead of typical profile: *Experienced Sales Director with a demonstrated history of exceeding sales quotas with B2B technology and service providers targeting the auto industry.* Show how you help buyers: *I work with auto industry executives to help them understand how to best apply complex technology to grow business.* This kind of simple change can help turn buyers into fans. Imagine the fandom when all your salespeople make this shift. [![Fanocracy: Turning Fans into Customers and Customers into Fans](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/3c16ec27-4c68-422d-910a-de4b710b6647.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/3c16ec27-4c68-422d-910a-de4b710b6647) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ Sales Strategies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/sales-strategies) [ New Rules of Sales & Service ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/new-rules-of-sales-service) [ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices) [ Business to Business ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/business-to-business) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pirated%20books.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Pirated%20books.jpg) ### Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI March 26th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/move-fast-and-steal-things-meta-pirated-53-of-my-books-and-stories-to-train-their-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toyota%20website.jpg?width=1253&height=822&name=Toyota%20website.jpg) ### Automaker Website Frustrations Push Buyers Elsewhere December 10th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/automaker-website-frustrations-push-buyers-elsewhere) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg) ### Please Do Not Play Without Permission November 12th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/please-do-not-play-without-permission) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg?width=1338&height=886&name=Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg) ### Generative AI Not Understood By Young People… Educators Are To Blame July 9th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/generative-ai-not-understood-by-young-people-educators-are-to-blame) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg?width=1500&height=845&name=Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg) ### Apple’s Soul Crushing, Creator Destroying Metaphor for what AI is Doing to Society May 8th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apples-soul-crushing-creator-destroying-metaphor-for-what-ai-is-doing-to-society) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_126631127.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=shutterstock_126631127.jpg) ### Customer Testimonials Are Not Effective Storytelling March 26th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/customer-testimonials-are-not-effective-storytelling) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg?width=1000&height=670&name=we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg) ### We Annoy Our Customers March 5th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/we-annoy-our-customers) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg?width=1000&height=628&name=shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg) ### Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies December 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/legal-caution-vs.-pr-clarity-university-presidents-legal-advisors-muddled-congressional-testimonies-on-antisemitism) [![Man holding a tablet computer with tip options](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2328873613.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=shutterstock_2328873613.jpg) ### Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should October 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/just-because-you-can-doesnt-mean-you-should) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/max%20logo%20win.jpg?width=925&height=621&name=max%20logo%20win.jpg) ### Max Mayhem: Warner Bros. 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