It’s a section of the platform that some people might not even be familiar with, but recommendations on LinkedIn can be extremely beneficial for you and/or your business. Think of it as a way for people to write brief testimonials about their experience working with you or your company. It helps validate your skills and experience, which can encourage others to utilise your products or services.
But, how do you ask for a LinkedIn recommendation? And alternatively, how do you write one?
As a LinkedIn marketing agency, we’re here to help answer these questions for you. Read our blog below to discover exactly why you should write and request LinkedIn recommendations, as well as the best LinkedIn recommendation examples for you to gather inspiration…
What are LinkedIn recommendations?
LinkedIn recommendations are displayed on a person’s profile and written by other users on the platform. These written testimonials are a way of endorsing a specific user, to show colleagues, business partners, customers, and clients that they are reliable and provide trusted products/services.
Whilst LinkedIn has a separate skill endorsement section and a summary for you to write on your profile, recommendations are slightly different. For example, the skills section looks something like this:
Whereas, recommendations are written assessments that provide an understanding of the way you work, the quality of your work, and interpersonal skills. This could include how well you work in a team and what results you have achieved. Or even your position as a thought leader within your industry.
LinkedIn recommendation examples
If you’re providing a recommendation to another individual, you might be wondering where to start. Luckily for you, we have some examples below to help you get started:
If they’re a manager
“I worked with (insert name here) at (insert company here) for (insert number of years here). They are excellent at leading a team and have provided guidance whenever I needed it – even at the busiest of times. They were a great motivator when it came to my progression and supported me from the beginning and end of my time at (insert company here). I highly recommend them as a manager and would love to work with them again.”
If you’re a colleague
“Working alongside (insert colleague’s name) was a privilege at (insert company’s name). They’re extremely skilled in (insert skills here) and take working in a team in their stride. Even when a challenge or issue arises, they have a positive attitude that boosts morale and overall team spirit. Any business would be lucky to have them as an employee.”
If they’re a client
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with (insert client’s name), helping them to achieve their goals and drive tangible results. Not only do they provide clear and concise communication, but their motivation to be the best in their industry inspires our team to strive for the top results. I look forward to working with them in future endeavours.”
Why use LinkedIn recommendations?
Asking people for LinkedIn recommendations – and also returning the favour – can be a beneficial way to improve your LinkedIn profile. For example, it:
Adds credibility
Adding LinkedIn recommendations to your profile is a great way to add credibility to your career experience. Essentially, they offer evidence that you have the skills and expertise to provide great service/products, leading to projects that ultimately achieve positive results.
Expands your network
Another reason why it’s beneficial to get and write LinkedIn recommendations is that it can expand your network. This is because if key figures in your industry see the recommendations other high-performing individuals/businesses have provided you with, they’ll be more interested in connecting with you and potentially even working with you.
Helps you stand out against competitors
Having LinkedIn recommendations can also help you to stand out as a thought leader within a crowded market. For example, if you and your competitors offer the same products/services, for consumers to pick you over them, you need to offer a unique value. Recommendations can help you to do this as customers/clients like seeing the firsthand experience of others having a positive experience with you. After all, they’re more likely to trust like-minded individuals over the word of a business that wants to make a sale.
How to ask a client for a LinkedIn recommendation
If a job or project you’ve worked on for a client goes particularly well, and the client is happy with the results you’ve achieved for them – it’s worth asking them for a recommendation. But you might be wondering how to approach it. Consider the following to help you:
Use the request a recommendation feature
If you want to streamline the process of asking for a recommendation from a client/customer, you can use LinkedIn’s request a-recommendation feature. To request a recommendation from a connection, take the following steps:
- Go to the connection’s LinkedIn profile.
- Click the ‘More’ icon – located at the top of their profile (it has three dots next to it).
- Then select the ‘Request a recommendation button’.
- Next, fill out the fields in the pop-up window, and click next.
- Personalise the message to your request and then if you’re happy, press send.
To find out how you can request a recommendation from your profile, or on mobile, check out LinkedIn’s handy guide.
Avoid being pushy
The first thing to consider when asking a client for a LinkedIn recommendation is to avoid being pushy. Instead of chasing them with emails, ask them as part of a phone conversation or in any meetings you have with them. If you’ve asked a couple of times, avoid asking again as this can be off-putting and make them less likely to give you a recommendation.
Ask after a success
The best way to ask a client for a LinkedIn recommendation is to time it right. For example, asking for a recommendation after you’ve not got the results your client wants is not the best time to ask for a testimonial for how effective your product/service is. Ask after you’ve achieved the results the client wants as they’ll be more likely to want to boast about your business.
How to write a LinkedIn recommendation – do’s and dont’s
If you’re ever put in a position where someone asks you to write a LinkedIn recommendation, don’t fret. In fact, StraightIn’s founder, Zac Hancox, has a list of do’s and don’ts you should follow when writing one:
Do share your professional relationship
“When writing a recommendation, ensure you make it clear what your professional relationship is to this person. This adds credibility to your testimonial and explains how you know the individual and what experience you have working with them.”
Don’t forget a call to action
“If you can add a call to action to your recommendation, it can encourage those reading the recommendation to get in touch with the individual/business so they can use their products/services too. For example, you could say ‘I definitely recommend giving them a call or dropping them an email today!’ But, only add this in if it feels natural to do so.”
Do stick to the key positives
“Ensure you don’t waffle when providing recommendations, and that you stick to the key positives that someone can gain if they choose to work with this individual/business. This could be their skills or the exact results you gained when working with them. Essentially, detail anything that might make someone want to work with them.”
Don’t use a LinkedIn recommendation generator
“It might seem tempting to use a LinkedIn recommendation generator when writing these testimonials for others. But, as a company that provides non-automated LinkedIn outreach campaigns, we would recommend avoiding AI and automation at all costs. At the end of the day, the software will likely produce similar results to other people using it. This means that your recommendations won’t actually stand out and provide a unique perspective that will help others/make the person you’re writing a recommendation for sound like a good person to work with/for.”
Increase high-quality leads with a LinkedIn marketing strategy from StraightIn
As a business owner looking to work with other companies, professional networks such as LinkedIn are important to utilise. Not only can they help you expand your network, but they can also make prospecting for clients/customers much easier.
But, it can be hard to find the time to make a marketing strategy that works on LinkedIn, especially alongside your everyday business operations.
That’s why it helps to have a team of experts on your side, such as the experienced team at StraightIn. We know the difficulties businesses can encounter with LinkedIn, and we want to use our expertise to produce tangible results for you. Whether it’s boosting the quality of leads, increasing conversions, or expanding your network, we can guide you with an approach that really works.
Our services include Outreach Marketing, LinkedIn Advertising, Content Marketing, and Personal Branding. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you. Call 0161 518 4740, or email grow@straight-in.co.uk.
