Asking for a friend: the importance of requesting LinkedIn recommendations

I was recently delighted to receive an unsolicited recommendation on LinkedIn from a client whose programme is coming to an end. It is so gratifying when someone thinks so highly of the service you have provided, that without asking, they take the time to write a recommendation and post it on your LinkedIn profile.  Of course, people are generally very busy or it doesn’t even occur to them to leave a review or recommendation for you. Afterall, they have thanked you in person, and that is so much more important, isn’t it?

Thank you for the thank you

While, yes, it is great to be thanked at the end of a session or after a programme has been completed, but by this client going the extra mile and posting their recommendation on my profile, they have not only acknowledged the benefit of what I provided to them, but also endorsed my services to a much wider audience. This sort of public approval is gratifying but it is also highly beneficial to you, particularly if you are looking to change your job or role within the business you work in.

Do as I say…

However, it’s not just the ones that do this unsolicited that are happy to do this, many people are delighted to provide you with a recommendation for your LinkedIn profile, if you just ask them to. It can feel so incredibly awkward asking for a recommendation, but it really shouldn’t. I tell my clients all the time that they just need to reach out and ask for that glowing testimonial or recommendation, even though I am guilty of shying away from doing so myself!

Regardless of how awkward it makes you feel to ask, it is so important that you have these public declarations on your LinkedIn profile. With over 800 million users across 200 countries (according to LinkedIn Stats for 2022), LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool, with an extensive reach.

LinkedIn, Trip Advisor for work?

In addition, we are now living in an age when sites like Trip Advisor and Trust Pilot are visited before a decision on a new car, a meal out or even the purchase of a holiday or washing machine are made. Why should it be any different for someone looking to recruit – and where would they look other than LinkedIn?

Do something different

So, next time you have received a good service from someone or are impressed with the quality of the work that is being carried out, don’t wait to be asked, make someone’s day and leave them a positive recommendation on LinkedIn. You never know what a good service you are providing them in return.