Giving your LinkedIn profile a needed facelift

While your resume might get you through the door, your LinkedIn profile does some of the heavy lifting long before and after that first application. Recruiters, hiring managers, and potential colleagues are potentially checking you out on LinkedIn, and they're making quick judgments based on what they see.

But here's the good news: small, strategic changes to your profile can dramatically increase your visibility and appeal to the right opportunities. You don't need to spend weeks perfecting every detail. Instead, we're going to focus on the elements that actually move the needle.

Let's start with the most powerful piece of real estate on your profile - your headline.

Your LinkedIn Headline: Your 24/7 Professional Billboard

Think of your headline as your elevator pitch in text form. It appears everywhere on LinkedIn - in search results, connection requests, comments, and activity. When a recruiter is scanning profiles (and they scan hundreds), your headline is often what makes them stop and click.

The standard "Customer Success Manager at TechCo" isn't working hard enough for you. Here's how to transform it:

The Winning Formula

Copy[Role] | [Key Achievement] | [Portfolio Scope] | [Special Expertise]

Real Examples:

• "Enterprise CSM | 96% Retention Rate | $12M Portfolio | Healthcare SaaS Expert"

• "Strategic CSM | Leading $8M Enterprise Portfolio | 140% Net Revenue Retention | Technical Implementation Specialist"

• "Senior CSM | Building Customer Programs | $15M ARR | AI/ML Platform Success"

Why This Works

This format instantly communicates:

• Your current level

• Your proven impact

• Your scope of responsibility

• Your unique value proposition

Customizing Your Headline

Start by answering these questions:

1. What's your most impressive metric? (Retention rate? Portfolio size? Growth numbers?)

2. What makes you different from other CSMs? (Industry expertise? Technical knowledge? Strategic planning?)

3. What's the scope of your impact? (Portfolio size? Number of enterprise accounts?)

A Step-by-Step Approach

1. Start with your role level:

• "Strategic Customer Success Manager"

• "Enterprise CSM"

• "Senior Customer Success Manager"

1. Add your standout metric:

• "96% Enterprise Retention"

• "140% Net Revenue Retention"

• "45% Reduction in Time-to-Value"

1. Include your scope:

• "$12M Portfolio"

• "35 Enterprise Accounts"

• "$8M ARR Under Management"

1. Finish with your specialization:

• "Healthcare SaaS Expert"

• "Technical Implementation Specialist"

• "Customer Advocacy Program Builder"

Common Headline Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too generic: "Customer Success Professional" doesn't tell your story

• Cluttering with buzzwords: "Passionate customer advocate driving synergistic solutions" says nothing

• Forgetting metrics: Numbers make you stand out

• Being too modest: This isn't the place to undersell yourself

Quick Headline Fixes

If your current headline is just your title, take these steps:

1. Add your biggest achievement number

2. Include your portfolio size

3. Add your specific expertise or industry focus

Remember: Your headline isn't just a label - it's an opportunity to stand out. Take 10 minutes right now to update yours. It's the quickest way to improve your LinkedIn presence and attract better opportunities.

Your LinkedIn About Section: Tell Your Story, Show Your Impact

Most CSMs either leave their About section empty or fill it with vague statements about being "passionate about customer success." Let's fix that. Your About section is your chance to tell your professional story in a way that resonates with hiring managers and recruiters.

The First Three Lines Matter Most

LinkedIn only shows the first 3-4 lines before adding a "see more" button. Make them count. Here's your blueprint:

Example Opening: "I transform complex customer challenges into measurable business outcomes. Leading a $12M enterprise portfolio with 96% retention, I specialize in turning technical SaaS implementations into long-term strategic partnerships. My customers achieve 140% net retention through structured success planning and proactive value delivery."

Why this works:

• Leads with impact

• Includes specific numbers

• Shows both scope and expertise

• Gives a clear value proposition

Building Your Full About Section

First Paragraph: Your Professional Mission

Start strong with your current impact. Use this template:

"I help [type of customers] achieve [specific outcomes] through [your unique approach]. Managing [portfolio size/scope], I specialize in [your specific expertise or focus area]."

Real Example: "I help enterprise healthcare organizations achieve their digital transformation goals through strategic SaaS adoption. Managing a $15M portfolio of 35 accounts, I specialize in navigating complex regulatory requirements while driving measurable business outcomes."

Second Paragraph: Your Key Achievements

Share 2-3 specific accomplishments that showcase your value:

Example: *"In the past year, I've:

• Transformed an underperforming territory from 82% to 96% retention

• Developed a customer health framework now used across our global CS organization

• Led the successful implementation of our enterprise platform across 20+ hospitals"*

Third Paragraph: Your Expertise Areas

List your key areas of expertise, but make them specific to customer success:

Example: *"Areas of focus:

• Enterprise healthcare SaaS implementation and adoption

• Strategic account planning and executive relationship building

• Technical integration management and success planning

• Cross-functional program development and scale"*

Final Paragraph: Your Call to Action

End with a clear next step for readers:

Example: "I'm always interested in connecting with fellow CS professionals and learning about new opportunities to drive customer and business success. Feel free to reach out to discuss customer success strategies or explore potential collaborations."

Quick Tips for a Better About Section

Do:

• Use first-person ("I" and "my")

• Include specific numbers and achievements

• Break up text for readability

• Update quarterly with new achievements

• Add relevant keywords naturally

Don't:

• Copy your resume summary

• Use clichés like "passionate self-starter"

• Write more than 4-5 short paragraphs

• Forget to include metrics

• Make it all about what you want

Common About Section Mistakes

Too Generic

❌ "Passionate customer success manager focused on driving customer satisfaction and building relationships."

✅ "Enterprise CSM specializing in technical SaaS implementations, achieving 96% retention across $12M portfolio through structured success planning and proactive risk management."

Too Modest

❌ "Helping customers use our software and solve problems."

✅ "Transforming customer challenges into measurable outcomes: 45% faster implementation, 92% adoption rates, and 140% net retention through strategic partnership."

Too Verbose

❌ Long paragraphs about every detail of your career journey

✅ Concise, impact-focused statements with specific metrics and achievements

Update Your About Section Now

Take 15 minutes to revamp your About section:

1. Write your opening hook using the template above

2. List your top 3 achievements with metrics

3. Add your specific areas of expertise

4. Include a clear call to action

5. Read it aloud - if anything sounds generic, make it specific

Remember: Your About section isn't your life story - it's your professional highlight reel. Make every word count and focus on what makes you an exceptional CSM who delivers measurable business impact.

Your Experience Section: Show Your Growth and Impact

Your LinkedIn experience section isn't just a copy-paste of your resume. It's a place to tell the fuller story of your impact and growth. Let's make each role work harder for your career.

Your Current Role: Make It Shine

Start with a powerful overview line that sets the stage:

Example: "Leading strategic customer success for 35 enterprise accounts ($12M ARR) with 96% retention rate | Specializing in healthcare and financial services verticals"

Structure Your Current Role

1. First Bullet: Scope and Impact Example: "Driving customer outcomes across $12M portfolio of enterprise healthcare accounts, achieving 96% retention and 140% net revenue retention through strategic partnership and value-based success planning"

2. Second Bullet: Your Biggest Win Example: "Transformed underperforming territory into top performer within 6 months through structured success planning and proactive risk management, recovering $2.4M in at-risk revenue"

3. Third Bullet: Program or Process Impact Example: "Created and scaled customer health framework now used across global CS organization, reducing churn risk response time by 60% and enabling early identification of $4.2M expansion opportunities"

4. Final Bullet: Leadership/Innovation Example: "Lead cross-functional initiative to redesign enterprise onboarding, reducing time-to-value from 90 to 45 days while maintaining 95% CSAT"

Previous Roles: Show Progression

Keep previous roles focused but impactful. For each role:

1. Opening Line: "Managed portfolio of 50 mid-market accounts ($5M ARR) with 92% retention rate"

2. Two Key Achievements:

• One focused on direct customer impact

• One focused on process/program improvement

Example: *"• Increased portfolio renewal rate from 82% to 92% through systematic success planning

• Developed automated health monitoring system reducing response time 60%"*

Quick Tips for Better Experience Entries

Do:

• Lead with scope and numbers

• Show clear progression

• Include cross-functional impact

• Highlight program creation

• Add relevant tech stack

Don't:

• Copy resume bullets exactly

• List daily tasks

• Use vague statements

• Forget to quantify impact

• Hide your growth

Making Your Experience Tell a Story

Show Clear Progression

Example Progression:

• Associate CSM: "Managed 100+ SMB accounts achieving 90% retention"

• CSM: "Led 50 mid-market accounts to 92% retention"

• Sr. CSM: "Driving enterprise success strategy across $12M portfolio"

Highlight Leadership Growth

Even without title changes, show how you've grown:

• Year 1: "Managed successful onboarding for 50+ accounts"

• Year 2: "Created and scaled onboarding program across organization"

• Year 3: "Leading cross-functional initiatives to transform customer experience"

Common Experience Section Mistakes

Too Task-Focused

❌ "Conducted quarterly business reviews and handled customer issues"

✅ "Transformed quarterly reviews into strategic planning sessions, increasing executive engagement 3x and identifying $2.1M in expansion opportunities"

Missing Context

❌ "Improved customer satisfaction and reduced churn"

✅ "Increased NPS from 30 to 65 across $8M portfolio while reducing churn from 15% to 4% through proactive success planning"

No Progression Story

❌ Similar bullet points across multiple roles

✅ Clear progression from tactical execution to strategic leadership

Quick Fixes for Your Experience Section

Take these steps now:

1. Add portfolio size and scope to current role

2. Include your top 3 achievements with metrics

3. Show how you've grown in each role

4. Add any program creation or leadership

5. Include relevant tech stack and methodologies

Remember: Your experience section should tell the story of your growth from handling accounts to driving strategic impact. Make each entry show both what you achieved and how you've evolved as a CSM.

Skills and Recommendations: Building Credibility That Counts

Let's focus on two features that set LinkedIn apart from your resume: skills endorsements and recommendations. When used strategically, they provide powerful social proof of your impact.

Skills Section: Your Searchability Engine

Your skills section isn't just a list – it's how recruiters find you. Here's how to optimize it:

Top Skills to Feature

Pin these three skills at the top:

1. Your primary technical platform (Salesforce, Gainsight, etc.)

2. Your core expertise ("Enterprise Customer Success")

3. Your industry specialty ("SaaS Customer Success")

Strategic Skill Groups

Organize your skills in these categories:

Technical Skills:

• Specific platforms you've mastered

• Relevant technical tools

• Implementation methodologies

• Data analysis tools

Strategic Skills:

• Customer Success Management

• Strategic Account Planning

• Customer Journey Mapping

• Executive Relationship Management

• Revenue Retention Strategies

Industry-Specific Skills:

• SaaS

• Your vertical expertise (Healthcare, Fintech, etc.)

• Relevant regulations or standards

• Industry-specific platforms

Getting the Right Endorsements

Don't just collect random endorsements. Be strategic:

1. First, hide endorsements for skills that aren't relevant

2. Ask colleagues to endorse your top 3 skills

3. Endorse others for their skills (they often reciprocate)

4. Pin your most important skills to the top

Recommendations: Quality Over Quantity

Your goal is 3-5 strong recommendations that show different aspects of your impact.

Who to Ask

Target these relationships:

• A customer who can speak to your strategic impact

• A leader from another department (Product, Sales)

• A direct manager who can verify your achievements

• A peer who can speak to your collaboration

• A team member you've mentored

How to Ask

Send a personalized note like this:

"Hi [Name], Would you be open to writing a recommendation focusing on our work together on [specific project/outcome]? I particularly valued our collaboration on [specific achievement] and would appreciate you highlighting that experience."

Guide Their Response

Help them help you by suggesting they mention:

• Specific project or initiative you led

• Measurable outcomes you achieved

• Your unique approach or methodology

• How you handled challenges

• Your leadership or innovation

Example Strong Recommendation: "Sarah transformed how we think about customer success. She led our enterprise healthcare implementation, reducing deployment time from 90 to 45 days while maintaining perfect CSAT. Her structured approach to success planning has become our global standard, and she's the first person I call for strategic guidance on complex customer challenges."

Quick Wins for Social Proof

Do these today:

1. Update your top 3 pinned skills

2. Hide irrelevant skill endorsements

3. Request one new recommendation

4. Add any missing technical certifications

5. Update your featured section with recent wins

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skills Mistakes:

• Listing too many skills (focus on top 15-20)

• Including outdated technologies

• Not pinning your most relevant skills

• Keeping irrelevant endorsements visible

Recommendation Mistakes:

• Generic praise without specifics

• Only getting manager recommendations

• Not providing guidance to recommenders

• Letting recommendations get outdated

Maintaining Your Social Proof

Set a Quarterly Reminder to:

1. Update your skills based on new projects

2. Request a new recommendation

3. Hide outdated skills

4. Review and update endorsements

5. Add new certifications or achievements

Remember: Your skills and recommendations should tell a consistent story with the rest of your profile. Focus on quality over quantity, and make sure everything reinforces your professional brand as a strategic CSM who drives measurable business impact.

Making Your Profile Work: Activity and Engagement

A great profile serves as your foundation. Your ongoing activity and engagement will transform it into a powerful career asset that attracts the right opportunities.

Featured Section: Your Portfolio Window

The Featured section sits at the top of your profile, making it prime real estate for showcasing your best work. Consider it your professional highlight reel. Content that demonstrates your strategic thinking and measurable impact will catch attention and set you apart.

Key Items to Feature:

• Your best customer success presentation

• Certificates and badges

• Program frameworks you've created

• Industry articles you've written

• Speaking engagements or webinars

• Major project outcomes

Strategic Activity

Your LinkedIn activity tells recruiters how you think and approach customer success. Focus on sharing valuable insights that demonstrate your expertise and thought leadership. Share customer success strategies, industry trends, and technical solutions. Highlight your program successes (while maintaining confidentiality) and celebrate team wins to show your strategic approach to the field.

Engage thoughtfully with your network. Comment meaningfully on posts from CS leaders, participate in relevant discussions, and support your team's content. Quality engagement builds stronger professional relationships.

Profile Maintenance

Your profile needs regular attention to stay effective. Set up a maintenance schedule that keeps your content fresh and relevant.

Monthly Checklist:

• Update your current role achievements

• Add any new certifications

• Share one meaningful insight or win

• Engage with 3-5 relevant posts

• Connect with 2-3 new industry contacts

Every three months, conduct a deeper review. Update your headline, add major achievements to your experience section, and refresh your featured content. Use this time to request new recommendations and review your skills' relevance to your current career goals.

Visibility During Job Search

Managing your visibility during a job search requires balance. Make yourself visible to the right people while maintaining professional discretion. Turn on "Open to Work" privately for recruiters and adjust your profile visibility to "public." Focus your job preferences specifically on CS roles that match your experience and aspirations.

Building Your Network

LinkedIn networking focuses on building meaningful professional relationships. Connect with other CSMs in your industry, CS leaders at companies you admire, and relevant thought leaders. A strategic network provides opportunities, insights, and support throughout your career.

Consistent, valuable engagement with your network strengthens your professional presence. Participate in discussions, share insights, and support others' achievements to build lasting connections.

Measuring Your Impact

Track these key metrics monthly to understand your profile's effectiveness:

• Profile view increases

• Search appearances

• Connection acceptance rates

• Content engagement

• Recruiter messages

Use these numbers to refine your strategy and focus on activities that drive results.

Action Steps for This Week

Improve your LinkedIn presence today with these key actions:

1. Review your profile visibility settings

2. Update your Featured section with recent wins

3. Share one meaningful insight about your work

4. Connect with three industry peers

5. Join two relevant CS groups

Remember: Your LinkedIn presence grows in value over time. Stay active, be authentic, and focus on adding value to your network. Regular maintenance and meaningful engagement will make your profile a powerful tool for your career growth.

Your LinkedIn Banner: Making a Strong First Impression

Your LinkedIn banner (or background photo) is prime real estate that many professionals underutilize. While your profile picture shows who you are, your banner communicates your professional brand and industry focus.

If you're currently using your company's branded banner or logo, it's time for a change. Your LinkedIn profile should represent your personal professional brand, not your current employer's. Here's how to create an impactful banner:

Creating Your Banner

• Use Canva's LinkedIn Banner templates (1584 x 396 pixels) for professional-looking designs

• Consider Unsplash or Pexels for free, high-quality background images

• Keep the design clean and uncluttered - less is more

• Ensure any text is readable on both desktop and mobile views

Strategic Banner Ideas:

1. Industry Focus: Use imagery that represents your sector (e.g., healthcare technology, financial services)

2. Professional Value: Include a brief tagline about your customer success philosophy

3. Achievement Showcase: Highlight key certifications or awards

4. Thought Leadership: Feature a quote about customer success or your professional mission

LinkedIn profile FAQs

Q: Should I use the "Open to Work" green banner on my profile photo?

A: Here's what recruiters are actually saying: The "Open to Work" feature is valuable, but there are two different ways to use it - and this distinction matters.

If you're currently employed: Use the private "Open to Work" setting that's only visible to recruiters. Many recruiters specifically filter for this when sourcing candidates, and it won't alert your current employer. You maintain discretion while still appearing in recruiter searches.

If you're between roles: The public green banner can be effective, particularly in the first few weeks of your search. Recruiters often start their sourcing with "Open to Work" candidates because they know you're actively looking. However, don't leave it on indefinitely - remove it once you're in serious conversations with employers.

Pro Tip: Whether you use the banner or not, focus on having a strong, complete profile. Many recruiters pay significant fees to search for "Open to Work" candidates, so they're definitely looking - but they still need to see a compelling profile when they find you.

The bottom line? Don't worry about looking "desperate" - recruiters actively search for candidates who are open to work. Just choose the visibility setting that matches your current situation.

Q: "The guide emphasizes using metrics, but my company doesn't share specific revenue numbers, or I don't have access to exact retention rates. How can I show impact without breaking confidentiality?"

A: Demonstrating your value without sharing sensitive data requires shifting focus from raw numbers to the scale and impact of your work. The key is highlighting improvements, scope, and lasting program impact.

Here's how to do it effectively:

1. Use Percentages Percentages tell the story of improvement without revealing sensitive data. Focus on the change you drove and how you achieved it. This approach works particularly well for retention rates, implementation times, and adoption metrics.

   1. Instead of: "Managed $5M in ARR"

   2. Write: "Increased portfolio retention rate by 14% through strategic success planning" Write: "Reduced implementation time by 45% while maintaining 95% satisfaction"

2. Show Your Scope Rather than focusing on revenue, showcase the complexity and scale of your responsibility. Highlight the number of accounts, their strategic importance, and any industry-specific challenges you navigate.

   1. Instead of: "Managed enterprise accounts worth $XXM"

   2. Write: "Lead strategic planning for 35 enterprise healthcare accounts" Write: "Orchestrate success strategy for largest enterprise portfolio in APAC region"

3. Highlight Program Impact Your contributions to the broader organization often matter more than individual account metrics. Focus on programs or frameworks you've created that scaled beyond your immediate role.

   1. Instead of: "Saved company $2M in at-risk revenue"

   2. Write: "Created and scaled customer health program now used across entire CS organization" Write: "Developed onboarding framework reducing time-to-value by 60%, now standard across all regions"

Quick Tip: Start documenting your impact today by keeping track of improvements you drive, the scope of your work, and how your initiatives get adopted across the organization. These details will help you tell a compelling story about your impact without breaching confidentiality.

Q: I'd love to get recommendations from my customers, but I'm worried about looking unprofessional or getting in trouble. How should I handle this?

A: This is a delicate situation that requires careful consideration. First, check your company's social media and customer communication policies. Many companies actually encourage customer advocacy, but have specific guidelines about how to approach it.

If your company allows it, focus on customers where you've built a strong, professional relationship and achieved meaningful results together. The best time to ask is after a successful project completion or when they've expressed satisfaction with your work. Never pressure customers or make them feel obligated.

When reaching out, be transparent about your purpose. You might say something like: "I've really enjoyed working together on [specific project], and I'm proud of what we achieved with [specific outcome]. Would you be comfortable sharing our experience working together on LinkedIn?"

If you're worried about your current employer, consider reaching out to customers from previous roles instead. These relationships are often more appropriate for LinkedIn recommendations since they don't involve current business relationships.

Recommendations don't need to mention specific products or sensitive details. Guide customers to focus on your working style, strategic approach, and the outcomes you helped them achieve. This keeps the recommendation professional while avoiding any confidentiality concerns.

Most importantly, always prioritize the customer relationship over getting a recommendation. If you sense any hesitation, gracefully back off. A strong working relationship is more valuable than a LinkedIn recommendation.

Q: I've grown a lot in my CSM role but my title hasn't changed. How do I show my progression on LinkedIn?

A: Your growth as a CSM shows up in far more meaningful ways than just a title change. The key is telling the story of your expanding impact and influence within your role.

Start with your portfolio evolution. How has the scope and complexity of your accounts changed? Perhaps you began managing mid-market accounts and now handle your company's most strategic enterprise customers. Or maybe you're managing the same number of accounts but with dramatically improved results.

Instead of: "Managing enterprise accounts"

Write: "Evolved from mid-market to managing company's highest-tier enterprise accounts in healthcare sector"

Leadership impact tells another powerful story of growth. Have you created programs or frameworks that others now use? Are you mentoring new team members? These contributions show you've grown beyond individual account management to shaping team success.

Instead of: "Created onboarding process"

Write: "Developed enterprise onboarding framework now used by 15+ CSMs globally, reducing time-to-value by 40%"

Finally, highlight your growing strategic influence. Show how your role has expanded to impact company direction, whether through leading voice-of-customer sessions that influence the product roadmap or creating success frameworks adopted across regions.

Don't wait for a title change to update your profile. Add new responsibilities and impacts as they happen. This ongoing growth narrative often tells a more compelling story than a simple title promotion.

Q: I want to transition from technical CSM to strategic CSM (or vice versa). How do I position my LinkedIn profile for this change?

A: The key to making this transition successfully on LinkedIn is showing how your current expertise naturally evolves into your target role. Both technical and strategic CSM roles focus on driving customer outcomes – they just approach it from different angles.

When making this shift, focus first on outcomes that bridge both worlds. Look at your current achievements through the lens of your desired role. Your daily LinkedIn activity can also support your transition. Engage thoughtfully with content from CSMs in your target role type. Your comments and insights can demonstrate your understanding of the role you're pursuing, making your profile more compelling to hiring managers.

Q: I manage hundreds of smaller accounts, but most job postings want enterprise experience. How do I make my profile attractive for these roles?

A: Managing a large volume of accounts successfully requires just as much skill as handling enterprise customers – it's all about how you present it. The key is highlighting the complexity and scale of what you manage, while showing how your skills translate to enterprise customer success.

Scale itself is impressive. Your ability to maintain high satisfaction across hundreds of accounts while driving consistent results demonstrates strong process creation, efficiency, and systematic thinking. These are exactly the skills needed for complex enterprise accounts. Your experience handling a higher volume of diverse situations can actually make you better prepared for enterprise complexity.

When describing your role, focus on the systems and processes you've built to manage scale effectively. Talk about how you've automated and streamlined operations, created repeatable success playbooks, or developed health scoring systems that work across large portfolios. These achievements show you can think strategically about customer success at scale – a crucial enterprise skill.

Highlight moments where you've identified patterns across your portfolio to drive improvements. Enterprise success often requires spotting trends and implementing systematic solutions, which you've likely done across your larger customer base. Describe how you've turned insights from managing many accounts into programs or processes that improved overall customer success.

Q: My company's in the middle of layoffs - how do I quietly update my profile without alerting my employer?

A: Updating your profile during uncertain times requires discretion. The key is making incremental, strategic changes that improve your profile without sending alerts to your network.

Start by adjusting your privacy settings. Go to Settings & Privacy > How others see your profile and network activity. Turn off "Share profile updates" temporarily. This prevents your network from seeing changes you make. Also switch on "Private mode" when viewing other profiles so your current company doesn't see you researching opportunities.

Make your updates in stages rather than all at once. Focus first on enhancing sections like Skills and About that don't trigger notifications. Save any job title or company changes for last. When you do make more visible changes, do them during off-hours or weekends when fewer people are monitoring LinkedIn.

If you haven't been regularly updating your profile, now is actually a good time to do it. Many professionals update their profiles during company changes, so it won't stand out as unusual. Focus on adding recent achievements and updating your skills - these are normal profile maintenance activities that won't raise eyebrows.

Most importantly, keep your current role description positive and professional. Even if layoffs are happening, maintain your professional brand. Continue engaging normally with company content and colleagues. Sudden changes in LinkedIn activity can be just as noticeable as profile updates.