Making a Linkedin Recommendation
Let’s now apply the information about making powerful testimonials to the Making and Receiving Recommendations for your Linkedin Page. I’ll start with Making a Recommendation. If this is your first Recommendation, it is always good to spend a few minutes reviewing what other people are using for Recommendation. You can learn what you like and dislike about these Recommendations by looking at the work of others.
You can initiate a Recommendation from your profile, from the profile of the person you are recommending or in direct response to a request you receive from the other person. Here are the directions from Linkedin for using these three options:
To recommend a person from your profile:
1. Click the ‘Get Recommended’ link found in the ‘Recommended By’ section of the profile.
2. You’ll be taken to a page that allows you to ‘Mange recommendations you have received’ or ‘Make a Recommendation’.
3. Under the ‘Make a Recommendation’ section, enter a contact’s first/last name and their email address or click the ‘Select from your connections list’ link. Scroll to the lower part of the page.
4. Choose a category: service provider, business partner, colleague or student.
5. Follow the instructions provided based on the category you selected.
To recommend a person from their profile:
1. Click ‘Recommend this person’ found in the upper right hand corner of the profile. You will also find a recommendation link in the Experience section under the position for which you want to recommend them.
2. Choose a category: service provider, business partner, student, or colleague.
3. Follow the instructions provided based on the category you selected.
To recommend a person in response to a request:
1. Open the message in your email client or from the Received Recommendations page in your LinkedIn inbox.
2. Click ‘Write Recommendation’.
3. If this is an original request, you will be directed to a page where you can compose and submit your recommendation.
4. If this is a request to replace an existing recommendation, you will be taken to a page where you can edit the previous recommendation and submit the revised text.
Once you have completed the name the person and identified your relationship with them (you are given a number of choices), then click on Continue and you are taken to series of questions to complete before you write your recommendation.
What to Say?
Write the recommendation using the framework discussed in previous posts. Make it exciting. Be specific about the work done by the person, the strengths and responsibilities demonstrated by the person and the results or benefits produced.
Submit your Recommendation to the person. They will have the opportunity to review it, accept it or ask for revisions. Most people will accept what you write, however, they can ask for revisions to clarify points they want in the Recommendation.
I’ve found the best method is to email or call a colleague and offer to exchange Recommendations. They supply one for you and you supply one for them. In this way, you can specify what each person would like in a Recommendation. You can always send an email with a draft of your recommendation. The other person can send it back to you with the changes they would like. Then you put the revised Recommendation through the Linkedin process. This is an easy way to quickly generate recommendations.
You can Withdraw your recommendation. Situations changes; jobs may change. You are allowed to withdraw your Recommendation. When you do this, it is permanently removed from Linkedin and the recipient is not notified. To withdraw a Recommendation go to your Managing your Recommendations and click on Withdraw Recommendations.
To be continued, your comments are welcomed…
Al Hanzal
