Are you using LinkedIn Recommendations to deepen your professional relationships with your network?

Remember the key to success is to act like a human on social... Do you share referrals and references in every day business life? Yes? Well then...

When you work with a new or existing client are you asking them for testimonials, or LinkedIn Recommendations? Do you share recommendations when you work with a supplier? Are you saving them and sharing them?

If not then let’s dig into how you can use LinkedIn Recommendations to build credibility and trust with your followers.

Introduction: Importance of credibility and trust on LinkedIn

Before diving into the details, let's first understand why credibility and trust are crucial on LinkedIn. As a coach or service-based business, establishing yourself as a credible and trustworthy professional is essential to attract clients and build a strong network.

LinkedIn recommendations play a vital role in achieving this. They serve as testimonials from colleagues, clients, and other professionals who have worked with you. Recommendations provide social proof of your skills, expertise, and the positive impact you have made on others.

1. What are LinkedIn recommendations and why do they matter?

LinkedIn recommendations endorse and highlight your skills, qualities, and achievements. They appear on your LinkedIn profile and serve as testimonials from clients who have had a positive experience working with you.

These recommendations matter because they provide valuable insights into your professional character and abilities. They give potential clients and connections a glimpse of what it's like to work with you, building trust and credibility from the perspective of others.

2. How to ask for recommendations (it’s easy!)

Asking for recommendations is easier than you think! Here are some tips to help you get going:

1. Identify the right people: Reach out to people who have first-hand experience working with you and can vouch for your skills and expertise.
2. Personalise your request: Craft a personalised message explaining why you value their opinion and how their recommendation can benefit both of you.
3. Provide guidance: Offer specific suggestions on what you would like them to highlight in their recommendation. I LOVE when people give me an idea of what they need it to say. It saves me time that I don’t have!
4. Follow up politely: If you don't receive a response, send a gentle reminder after a reasonable amount of time has passed.

3. How to write a great recommendation for others

Writing a stand out recommendation for others can be a powerful way to strengthen your professional relationships and showcase your willingness to support others. Who doesn’t like getting a glowing review?! Right?

Here are some tips to help you write an effective recommendation:

1. Start with a strong opening: Begin by mentioning how you know the person and briefly highlight their key strengths and accomplishments.
2. Provide specific examples: Share specific instances or projects where the person excelled and showcase the positive impact they made.
3. Be yourself: Don’t use overly formal language if that’s not you! And it doesn’t match the person you worked with.
4. Highlight their unique qualities: Emphasise the qualities that make the person stand out and explain why they are a valuable asset.
5. Keep it concise and authentic: Be genuine in your praise and keep the recommendation concise, focusing on the most significant contributions and skills.
6. End with a strong closing: Conclude the recommendation by expressing your confidence in the person's abilities and your willingness to recommend them to others.

4. How to showcase recommendations on your LinkedIn profile

Once you have received recommendations, it's important to showcase them effectively on your LinkedIn profile to make the most of them. Here's how:

1. Create a post that highlights the recommendation and thank the person who took the time to write it. Make sure to tag them in the post.
2. Make sure to screenshot the recommendations and use them on your website, in emails, and use them as social proof when you are talking about your services on social media.
3. Showcase relevant recommendations: If you have received recommendations specific to certain industries or services, make sure to highlight them in relevant sections of your profile.

Compliments build positive relationships

As with everything on social media. Remember to act like a human! Everyone loves a compliment. If you have genuine experience of working with someone who was a pleasure to work with then share it! 

LinkedIn recommendations are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your credibility and trustworthiness. By understanding how to ask for recommendations, write compelling recommendations for others, and showcase them effectively on your profile, you can establish yourself as a trusted professional in your industry. Start leveraging recommendations today and see the positive impact it can have on your LinkedIn presence.

Make sure to message me and let me know if you notice a difference in how you feel about LinkedIn recommendations if you start using them!

Let's connection on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainewalshmcgrath/

Networking can be something that is daunting to many professionals and business owners, but when it is so important to making new connections and growing our businesses, it can also be essential. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the thought of networking, or perhaps want to discover new ways to maximise the events you attend, here are a few tips on how to boost your confidence before a networking event, and grow to love networking!

Get dressed up

As a personal stylist and a host of networking events, I couldn’t start without the personal styling element! Something that can often help us bring a dash of confidence in our step even before heading to a networking meeting is what we wear. Whether it’s your favourite pair of shoes, a dress you love, or an outfit you feel confident and professional in, plan your outfit in advance and boost your confidence!

I am a strong believer that you can never be overdressed, however, if you are unsure on the formality of the event, feel free to reach out to the host to ask for some advice. For some networking events, a relaxed yet professional style is perfect, however, if it’s an informal networking event you may be able to leave the pencil skirt at home and pop on a pair of quality jeans! Whereas, if the event is in the evening, you may be asked to dress more formally, and knowing this in advance will help with the preparation.

I always recommend to my visitors to wear what they feel comfortable in, and something they would perhaps feel ready to attend a meeting with a client in (as, after all, that’s what networking is!).

Prepare your script in advance

Preparation really can help you with your confidence at networking events, and many of us use a script on paper, on our phones, or our tablets so we don’t go off-piste – whatever works best for you and gives you confidence to stand up and show yourself in your best light.

Make sure you know if there is a requirement to showcase your business in a talk in the meeting, as some unstructured networking events are simply open to you to make the conversation without standing up to the room as a whole.

Once you know if there will be a time for you to showcase your business, then you’ll want to know how long you will have. Options can vary across the different networking organisations, but as a general rule it tends to be 45 seconds to a minute.

When you have all the details of length, you can then create a script to share at the meeting. I do recommend starting and ending with your name and company name, showcasing a service or product, then being specific about a target client you’d love to connect with – whether industry, or type of person to connect with to help those in the room consider who they may know.

Get to the venue early

The best networking can happen over coffee or tea, so I highly recommend getting to the event before the specified “sit down” time.

You can then collect yourself, re-do your lippie if you’re anything like me, and then get to the refreshments and meet the host.

I often recommend heading to connect with the host first, as they will be the main connector. They’ll be able to introduce you to a few of the members or regulars, and then leave you to connect further with them through conversation.

Feeling unsure on how to start the conversation? Here are a few starters that you can use that aren’t “what do you do?”

• What is it that you do?
• Where are you based/what areas do you cover?
• Do you come to this meeting regularly/are you a member?
• What inspired you to start your business?
• How long have you run your business/been in your profession?

  Take notes during the meeting

  At my WIBN networking events, I make sure to detail the attendees, their professions, as well as their contact email address on a handy sheet of paper with space for notes. This can be something you will receive at many networking events which are structured. If you do get to use one of these, then I highly recommend taking helpful notes (these will come in handy for my next tip!).

  Some of the things I take note of are:

• The industries or target audience they have asked to connect with
• Any people I’d like to introduce them to
• If I’d like to arrange a 121 with them
• A note about what they were wearing or something to jog my memory of who they were ie if they were sitting next to me, or had a great accessory!

If you didn’t get an attendee sheet, then a handy notebook can be useful at meetings to help jot down specific notes and contact details of those you have met.

One other tip I have received in the past is to take a note of the date & event on the person’s business card if they have handed me one during the event.

Follow up after the meeting

Once you get back to your office or home office, take the time to follow up with the people you have met at the networking meeting – this makes a huge difference to the way networking will work for you! It is super important to follow up, whether it’s just to send an email of thanks for connecting, or introducing them to someone you promised to do so with.

Another way to follow up is to connect with those you met on social media, such as LinkedIn or Instagram to keep the conversations flowing after the event. You could also reach out to arrange a 121 for a more in-depth conversation after the event, should you want to get to know them further.

I hope these tips will help you love networking more, and I’d be delighted to hear your top tips!

For more details on my WIBN networking groups across Berks, Bucks and online contact me at sarahvandort@wiib.co.uk or on 07888 695281.

For more details on my personal styling business visit www.abfabimage.co.uk or contact me at sarah@abfabimage.co.uk.

Photocredit: Canva January 2022