Written By: Frances Flynn Thorsen
“I don’t bother with LinkedIn because it’s too much work.”
“LinkedIn isn’t fun. I’d rather play on Facebook.”
I hear many people complain about LinkedIn. That’s a shame because the people I hear complaining about LinkedIn are some of the finest professionals I know in the bricks-and-mortar world. In the meantime, I’m watching people I revere as thought leaders and movers and shakers succumb to mind numbing Facebook games while important corners of their social media presence remain neglected and ignored.
LinkedIn offers members a chance to write and receive Recommendations about their Connections. This is one of the most powerful features of the platform.
Imagine a prospective client or employer arrives at your LinkedIn profile page and sees a thread of Recommendations from people at all stages in your career.
Imagine the impact that event has. Imagine the confidence you can inspire with written testimony of your service.
Leverage your presence on LinkedIn using the Recommendation feature. Writing Recommendations for others will ignite a reciprocity exchange and social adrenaline will inspire recipients to respond with Recommendations for your LinkedIn page.
1. Don’t ask people for Recommendations. Write Recommendations for other people! Making a request for a Recommendation creates social indebtedness. Writing a Recommendation places the recipient in the social capital receivables bucket.
2. Make LinkedIn Recommendation writing part of a weekly engagement plan. Write at least two recommendations for people you have worked with successfully. Thank each for a job well done and state that others can have confidence in receiving the same service.
3. Create a list of people you have worked with successfully. Connect with them on LinkedIn and put them on a schedule for written Recommendation acknowledgement. Use a memory jogger and date plan.
4. Write a Recommendation for a competitor. Example: Real estate agent or broker writes a Recommendation for an agent who recently cooperated in a successful transaction.
5. Write a Recommendation for a staffer or colleague. After following Tip #2, be certain that you are extending testimonial support to your company staffers and independent contractors.
6. Write with integrity. Do not exaggerate about someone’s service. Be honest and truthful.
7. Refrain from writing Recommendations that do not reflect your honest enthusiasm. It is better to abstain from writing a dishonest testimonial than jeopardizing your reputation.
8. Issue written gratitude for persons who write Recommendations for you.
9. Hide from view and delete recommendations from others when the writers are persons with whom you would not do business. Consider removing those people from your network and disengaging completely when you feel your reputation is at stake.
10. Review your written recommendations periodically. If there is deleterious change in your business relationship with someone who displays your personal Recommendation, withdraw your Recommendation.
(Are we connected on LinkedIn? Here’s my profile.)
About Frances Flynn Thorsen
Frances Flynn Thorsen
