LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Fractional Executives

## Your Profile Is Your Sales Page As a fractional executive, your LinkedIn profile isn't a CV—it's a sales page. The difference matters. CVs list what you've done. Sales pages explain what you can do for someone else. Most fractional executives make the same mistake: they list impressive titles and achievements, then wonder why nobody reaches out. The problem isn't your experience. It's that you're speaking to recruiters who aren't looking for you, instead of founders and CEOs who are. ## The Headline Problem Your headline is the most valuable real estate on LinkedIn. You get 220 characters. Most fractionals waste them. **What doesn't work:** - "Experienced CFO | 20+ Years in Finance | MBA" - "Fractional CMO | Marketing Leader | Growth Expert" - "Former VP Operations at [Big Company]" These headlines describe you. They don't describe the outcome someone gets from working with you. **What works better:** - "I help Series A founders build finance infrastructure before they hire a full-time CFO" - "Fractional CMO for B2B SaaS. I've built the marketing playbook 3x from £1M to £10M ARR" - "I run operations for 2-3 startups at a time. Currently have capacity for 1 more." The pattern: **Outcome + Specificity + Proof** ## The About Section Framework Your About section needs to answer three questions in the first two lines (before the "see more" fold): 1. Who do you help? 2. What problem do you solve? 3. Why should they trust you? Here's a structure that works: **Opening hook (2 lines):** State the problem your ideal client faces. "Most Series A startups don't need a £200k/year CFO. But they do need someone who's closed a funding round before, built a finance team, and knows when to upgrade from Xero." **The bridge (2-3 lines):** Position yourself as the solution. "That's where I come in. I work with 3-4 startups at a time, typically 2 days per week each. I've helped 12 companies through Series A to B transitions." **Proof points (bullet list):** Specific, measurable outcomes. - Helped [Company] reduce cash burn by 34% in 6 months - Built finance teams from 0 to 5 people at 3 startups - Managed due diligence for £47M in total funding raised **Call to action:** Make it easy to take the next step. "If you're a founder wondering whether you need fractional or full-time finance help, DM me. Happy to share my framework for deciding." ## Experience Section: Show the Pattern Don't just list your fractional clients. Show the pattern of problems you solve. Create a single "Fractional CFO" entry that spans your fractional career, then use the description to highlight themes: "Since 2021, I've worked with 8 B2B SaaS companies as their fractional CFO. Common patterns: - All were between £2M-£15M ARR - All needed to upgrade from founder-led finance to proper infrastructure - 6 of 8 successfully raised their next round - Average engagement: 14 months" This tells a story. It also lets prospects self-qualify—if they're a £2M ARR SaaS company, they know you've done this before. ## The Featured Section Most profiles leave this empty. Use it for: 1. **A case study post** - Your best client outcome, written as a story 2. **A "how to hire a fractional X" guide** - Positions you as the expert 3. **Your booking link or contact method** - Make the next step obvious ## Skills and Endorsements Reorder your skills so the most relevant ones appear first. "Fractional CFO" should rank higher than "Microsoft Excel." Ask 3-5 clients for specific skill endorsements. "Financial Modeling" endorsed by a founder you worked with carries more weight than 50 random endorsements for "Leadership." ## The Profile Photo and Banner **Photo:** Professional, recent, and friendly. You're selling trust. A suit might work for traditional industries; a smart casual shot works for startups. Match your market. **Banner:** Don't leave it as the default blue. Options: - A simple text banner stating what you do - Your company logo if you have a fractional practice brand - A subtle pattern that doesn't distract from your photo ## What to Remove - Buzzwords: "passionate," "driven," "results-oriented" - Ancient experience that isn't relevant to fractional work - Skills you don't want to be hired for - Recommendations from people who can't speak to your fractional work ## The Test Show your profile to someone who doesn't know you. Ask them: 1. What do I do? 2. Who do I help? 3. Should they hire me? If they can't answer all three clearly, rewrite until they can.