Memorable Endorsements

A LinkedIn endorsement says that not only do you know and trust the individual, you recommend them to others – a powerful statement.

So don’t just tell the world what a great professional Tom Smith is, tell them the unique thing about Tom that makes him special.

Don’t waste time with an endorsement that just tells the reader that you’re a fan of the recipient. Give them more to go on.

Specific

The more specific, the better – about the only think I’d caution you to do is respect a confidence. (Though because a recipient has to approve an endorsement, they can always ask you to edit out something they’d rather not divulge)

“Tom’s mastery of complex Perl scripts allowed the project to move forward.” is much better than “Tom’s a fine programmer.”

Memorable

A specific example helps make the endorsement memorable, but that may not be enough. You’ve got to find the essence of the unique factor your endorsed connection possesses.

“Identifies critical aspects of the project” vs “helps the team” – see the difference?

Believeable

Make sure your recommendation isn’t so glowing that the reader can’t believe it’s true… The easiest way to do that is to stay real, specific, and memorable.

Best of success with LinkedIn endorsements.

Next time – a word about questionable endorsement practices…