The other day, an old friend and colleague asked a great question, ‘How can I get more LinkedIn Recommendations?‘
Here is an excerpt of my answer along with a link to a TUTORIAL I have written on ‘How to Request LinkedIn Recommendations‘:
LinkedIn recommendations are a valuable component of any LinkedIn profile. They validate your expertise and help establish a sense of trust. When I say that I am an email marketing expert, that holds some weight but if someone visiting my profile also sees that I have over a dozen recommendations saying that I have helped others with THEIR email marketing efforts, the claim is supported and much stronger. When the person visiting my profile sees that someone they KNOW has recommended me, this is even better! Not only have I claimed to have this expertise but now someone they know (and probably trust) has said the same.
The quickest way to get more LinkedIn Recommendations is to REQUEST them. Click HERE for a tutorial on ‘How to Request LinkedIn Recommendations‘.
When requesting a recommendation, make it as easy as possible for them by outlining the content. When writing your request, remind them of the work you have done together, the deadlines you met and/or the ways in which you helped them.
For example,
“Please write a LinkedIn Recommendation for the work I did on your XYZ project when I was responsible for the marketing materials for the major, end of year presentation. Not only did we meet those crazy deadlines but the design has since been used as a template for all subsequent presentations.”
Or
“Please write a recommendation for the work I did on the ABC project where I was brought in to make sense of the mess left by the previous consultant. Not only was I able to straighten out the paperwork but I also set up a new system which has kept the company on track. The new system has saved you over 30% over the past year and will continue to serve you on an ongoing basis.”
You don’t need to write the full recommendation, you just want to give them the arc and facts so they can easily build it themselves. Most people ARE willing to help others but staring at a blank screen can be daunting. Helping them get started makes it that much more likely that they will get it done!
I also suggest that any time you get an email from a client, manager or colleague, thanking you for a job well done, ask them if they would be willing to please write a LinkedIn Recommendation for you. Explain that it need not be long and that they can use the verbiage in the email as a start!
Keep in mind that you must be a FIRST DEGREE connection with someone to recommend them or to be recommended by them. This is a great reason to get out and CONNECT with those people you work with – especially if you will ever want them to recommend you. It is much easier to ask someone you are already connected with to recommend you than to have to send an invitation to link as well!
If you are asking someone to recommend you, without sending them a request, you can send them this link, which has a tutorial on ‘How to Recommend Someone on LinkedIn‘.
LinkedIn does indicate on your profile how many recommendations you have received, as well as how many you have written, so remember to write some recommendations as well!
For more LinkedIn Resources, including some ideas on what to write when someone asks YOU to write them a recommendation, please check out my LinkedIn Resources Board on Pinterest
