Is this how you feel when you ask for a LinkedIn recommendation?
A friend of mine has confused asking for a LinkedIn recommendation with promiscuous sex and used car sales. “It makes me feel cheap, pushy, and desperate,” he explains. I ask if he would prefer that people just write recommendations for him completely on their own initiative without any requests from him. He rolls his eyes. Of course that’s what he wants. Am I an idiot? That’s what everyone wants. Then I ask, “So when’s the last time you wrote an unsolicited recommendation for someone else?”
What’s preventing you from writing an unsolicited recommendation?
My friend never wrote a recommendation on his own for the same excuses you are thinking right now. If they wanted a recommendation, why didn’t they ask? I’m soooo busy! No one has ever done one for me. Wah!
Enough excuses. Writing one will give you a bigger lift than anything else you do today. So, take five minutes out of your busy television or web surfing schedule and look at your LinkedIn contacts. Who did you love working with? Who had a big impact on a project you were on? Who would you gladly give a recommendation to, if only they weren’t so afraid to ask? Write one right now. Be sincere. Be specific. Think about what hiring managers or clients should know about them.
Karma is a wonderful thing
Take a moment to think how great you would feel if you saw a recommendation suddenly appear on your profile. When you submit your recommendation, LinkedIn will notify your connection. Now think how they will feel when they see what you wrote. They will probably get inspired. Inspired to write a recommendation.
Why giving recommendations makes you look good
Even if you don’t get a recommendation from this particular person (although the chances are good), writing one reflects well on you. A LinkedIn profile looks pathetic when you see the person has written zero recommendations. Does no one want your recommendation? Or are you too lazy to write one? Write some recommendtions and no one has to dwell on those questions about you.
Mojo Moves
- Think about three people you would love to give a recommendation to
- Are they one of your LinkedIn connections? If not ask them now
- Go spread some digital Karma
How do you feel about asking for recommendations? We’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.
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