The recommendations on LinkedIn are a great way to give and receive value. Testimonials are one of the most important things you can receive from a client. They are simply more credible than you saying the same thing. If a picture tells a 1,000 words then a testimonial tells a 1,000 times a 1,000.
There are really three types of recommendations on LinkedIn:
- A Colleague
- A Business A Partner
- A Service Provider (they are a client)
The most effective recommendation is from a client. Under LinkedIn there is a tab for Service Providers. This is an interesting section. You can look at a particular industry category and the top ranked person in your geographic location for numerous categories.
When the page displays it shows recent recommendation across the total LinkedIn network. To find a specific location such as Atlanta, you need to click the “Change Location” link which is in the top right corner of the page. Then either put in a zip code or select from the listed locations.
Once at the correct location, the results are still displaying the most recent recommendations. Next you want to select a “Category” which is on the right side. Since I’m in the insurance business I selected “Insurance Agent”. This brings up a list of Insurance Agents based on the most recent recommendations.
The final step is to select the text link “Top Results”. You now have a list of the Top Recommended Insurance Agents in Atlanta. The only criticism that I have is that there are many types of insurance agents, and unfortunately you can’t sort based on Health, life, Auto, etc.
Currently I am the Top Ranked insurance agent in Atlanta. Has this helped my business? So far I don’t know, but I know it hasn’t hurt it. I believe that as the LinkedIn network continues to grow, that this could be an important part of building your business through LinkedIn.
One somewhat hidden feature on LinkedIn is the ability to request recommendations. Go to your profile page click on the “Recommendations” tab. To the right you will see a recommendations box with a text link “Ask for an endorsement”. Click on it and you can send a recommendation request to your clients.
In my requests I send something to the effect of, “I recently helped you with your health insurance needs. I am using LinkedIn recommendation to help build my business. If you feel that I did an outstanding job helping you I would appreciate it if you would consider writing a recommendation of my service. Please do not feel obligated to do so. Warm Regards.”
Not everyone will reply, but those who were really impressed will likely do so. As a final word, don’t forget to recommend those folks that have provided excellent service to you. Don’t keep them a secret.
Sean Nelson
