The LinkedIn Headline Test

Ship a 45-Character Hook That Wins Clicks, PR & Calls

Recently, I invited Michelle B. Griffin, a personal branding + PR pro, as a guest speaker in my TLB Club live session.

In that session, she reminded us of a simple, brutal truth:

Most people will give your profile ~8 seconds.
Your first 45 characters decide if they scroll… or bounce.

And LinkedIn isn’t your résumé anymore. It’s your personal brand website. When that opening line is vague, every downstream thing (DMs, intros, pitches, PR) gets harder than it needs to be.

So today’s note is one thing, done well:

Write a 45-character headline hook that passes the 8-Second Test.

If you implement this, strangers can explain what you do in one breath, and that’s the whole point.

Step 1: Decide your one-line job to be done

Use this tight template. Keep it specific and concrete:

Role/SpecialtyRole/Specialty for WHO
→ OutcomeOutcome

Examples (watch the character count on the front half):

• Fractional COO for $1–5M SaaS
  → scale w/o chaos
  

• Ops Consultant for Clinics
  → cut costs by 30%
  

• Bakery for Events
  → moist, custom cakes delivered
  

• Sales Trainer for B2B Founders
  → book 5 calls/week
  

• Career Coach for PMs
  → land FAANG interviews
  

• HR for Agencies
  → fix hiring in 30 days

Your goal: if a total stranger reads just the first ~45 characters, they know who you’re for and why they should care.

Pro tip: Lead with WHO or OUTCOME if that’s your edge:
“Retention for Shopify brands” or “Cut churn 25% (SaaS)”.