How To Get LinkedIn Recommendations (9 Strategies)

Getting a LinkedIn recommendation isn’t that difficult.

Select a few acquaintances from your contact list, ask them for a recommendation, and publish the received on your profile. Simple.

But, if you’re planning to secure a good recommendation, you might have to adjust your approach.

Sure, by randomly shooting messages at multiple people, you’ll probably earn several testimonials.

However, chances are most would be generic or irrelevant. And the only purpose those serve is window dressing.

Why Does A Good LinkedIn Recommendation Matters?

People seek recommendations to display social proof of their accomplishments on their profile. If the testimonial was vague, it would hardly provide any value.

Say you’ve applied for a managerial job, and a recruiter visited your LinkedIn profile to vet your skills.

What do you think a blandly phrased testimonial like “John is hardworking, committed, and a great asset to the team” would tell a recruiter about you? —nothing, exactly.

It’s one reason a sound recommendation matters.

For B2B brands, a good testimonial is even more imperative because companies need recommendations to build trust.

98% of B2B clients use LinkedIn for networking, and recommendations on your product page will largely influence their decisions.

Luckily, most entrepreneurs are well aware of it, and they not only take full advantage of feedback but capitalize on their personal testimonials to promote their brand.

Search the top influencers on LinkedIn, and you’d notice most own a company. You can use testimonials to boost your brand as well.

I know, a LinkedIn recommendation might appear purely job-oriented, but trust me, it’s an effective marketing tool to attract leads. Pursue excellent testimonials to strengthen your profile.

To help you out, I am sharing nine strategies you can employ to get recommendations that work.

1. Reach Out to Influential Connections

Everyone knows a favorable opinion from an authority figure adds weight to your character.

Since the entire purpose of getting recommendations is to build a strong profile, reach out to influential individuals, for starters.

Typically, the highest-ranking person in any company is the CEO, but I would advise against approaching them.

Why?

Unless you hold a peer status or a very strong profile like Dennis Koutoudis, does here, I highly doubt you can wrangle a recommendation from them.

A successful business owner might not have to think deeply before asking for endorsements, but others would find the task terribly challenging.

A mid-level professional is a perfect source to get quality recommendations. They are also high-profile decision-makers and wouldn’t mind granting you a favor.

Contact them via email before asking for a recommendation because professional etiquette dictates you allow them a choice.

Also, 90% rarely respond to messages. So, choosing email will be wise.

Once you’ve gained their confidence, send them a request with a follow-up reminder email.

2. Diversify Your Collection

If your high-profile clients dislike giving testimonials, no worries, contact your peers instead.

They diversify your collection, highlighting your profile to clients from different backgrounds.

Why does it matter?

For one, a variety in your testimonials shows you get along well with everyone. Second, it implies you are flexible in your project selection.

A diversified portfolio and testimonials enhance your skills, showing you in a positive light. For marketers, especially, it’s a great asset.

That said, getting a recommendation from your peers might be a little tricky because their profiles are relatively weak.

To filter out irrelevant profiles, reach out to individuals who enjoy a good relationship with other notable connections—friends of influential friends, if you know my meaning.

For instance, if you are a B2B marketer, ask for recommendations from clients who have links to reputable organizations or know someone who is. Similarly, a job seeker can reach out to peers working for a well-known company.

Of course, people with only an incredible portfolio would be just as equally valuable.

Check out Heidi Cohen’s profile. She’s a New York-based chief marketing officer and both of her recommendations are extremely strong on their own.

So, by all means, follow your instincts regarding choosing whom to approach.

But be mindful of your selection, through. Your peer’s poor reputation could hurt your profile even if you’re guilty by association.

3. Send a Well-Timed Recommendation Request

Ever heard the term, strike while the iron is hot?

Asking for feedback immediately after a project has ended is a popular strategy to get a helpful testimonial.

As the task you did for your client or employer will be fresh on their mind, they could recall minute details and might share them on their recommendation.

Small businesses use such tactics to attract leads all the time!

Open any Facebook business page, and you’ll notice entrepreneurs posting screenshots of customer testimonials on their timelines. Facebook also has a separate feature for recommendations allowing you to boost your brand image.

Freelance platforms also offer similar opportunities to attract more clients.

Don’t feel shy to ask for a recommendation. A well-timed request will get you an excellent testimonial.

4. Give and Take Recommendations

On Instagram, influencers use a scalable strategy called follow/unfollow to grow their business. They typically follow a profile in the hope of earning the same courtesy.

The collaboration technique might be shortsighted, but it remarkably works.

Use a similar persuasive strategy to get a LinkedIn recommendation.

Voluntarily recommend your peer with no strings attached.

If your connection receives a testimonial without feeling pressured to return the favor, they will be more inclined to reciprocate. It’s human nature.

If you’re reluctant to take a risk, offer a trade, then. —A recommendation for a recommendation.

It’s a sneaky method, I know, and may even prove unfruitful, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

5. Personalize Your Message

People generally ignore most messages on LinkedIn. They either don’t have time to spare, or generic requests don’t hold their interest.

To grab your recipient’s attention, send a personalized message.

A personalized message conveys thoughtfulness and shows you genuinely want to connect. It will also put a face to your words, making your request veritably impossible to ignore.

Below I am sharing two messages to prove my point. The first is the standard template LinkedIn offers.

Tell me, would you recommend someone after reading this note?

Here’s a personalized message.

It’s concise, relevant, and meaningful.

Marketers often use this tactic to build curiosity and astonishingly succeed half the time.

Make your connection feel special by personalizing your LinkedIn request. That way, you’ll have a better chance of getting excellent recommendations.

6. Offer A Value to Your Connections

Many consider it poor taste to ask for a favor without offering anything in return. It’s just the way the world works, and there’s nothing wrong with it.

So, provide them value through engagement techniques to get a quality recommendation.

Like and comment on their posts to show your interest. Share helpful content to stay on their mind. Even delivering a mere birthday wish can influence their opinion. You can also help your connections in growing their business by sending referrals. Really, there’s no shortage of choices.

Nurture your network to earn a recommendation. People actively entertain those who often engage with them.

7. Share Recommendation Template

One of the reasons many avoid responding to messages is because they have no idea what to write.

It takes an effort to compose a note, and not all know how to put down their thoughts flawlessly.

Surprisingly, it has little to do with drafting skills and more to a lack of personal relations. What would one say to a person who’s practically a stranger, anyway?

Make it easier for your connections by sharing a template with them.

If you need assistance, you’ll find several recommendation generators offering free templates.

Check, Linked Jetpack. The app will ask you for basic information to personalize your template.

I have used Linked Jetpack to generate a sample template for you. Initially, when I visited the page, a form appeared asking for details.

Filling in the required field, I clicked the Generate button to see the results.

The testimonial appears in this form.

Not bad. Explore the platform at your convenience. The site offers some useful services you may need later.

8. Send Requests in Intervals

I am not sure if you are aware of it, but if you’ve received recommendations in succession; the time stamped on them will show the same period.

While potential customers may not have put much thought into it, recruiters might detect manipulation.

Too many recommendations can backfire terribly. If it isn’t enough, they could also muddle your profile.

Let me give you an example.

Let’s assume in the last month, you’ve successfully earned three testimonials. However, the best in your collection is a year-old testimonial you got from a long-term client.

Since LinkedIn only displays two recommendations at once, it will automatically push your one back, never to be seen.

That’s the primary issue with ill-timed recommendations.

Periodically update your prominent testimonial and leave a space between your LinkedIn recommendations to exhibit the invaluable entries.

9. Strengthen Your Profile

Your profile acts as the first point of contact for your connections.

By displaying your bio-data, accomplishments, and interests, you tell your professional journey to your connections through your profile.

Earlier, I shared Dennis Koutoudis’ profile as a sample example. What I didn’t reveal was his impressive profile.

If your profile is well-structured, it will admirably broadcast your skills to your clients and help you stand out as an individual brand. It will also leave an impactful impression, strengthening people’s opinion towards you.

Build up your profile and use it to your advantage to get excellent recommendations.

How to Send a LinkedIn Recommendation Request

Now that you are familiar with tactics to get LinkedIn recommendations, let’s cover the steps to send a request.

Go to your connection profile. Under the profile picture, you’ll notice the “More” button. Click on it, and a list will appear.

Press the “Ask for recommendation” button and follow the instructions.

The moment your connection posts a recommendation, you’ll be immediately notified.

LinkedIn provides an option to reveal and hide your testimonials. Use it wisely.

Good luck!