Why You Need Recommendations and Testimonials on Your LinkedIn Profile

I recently worked with a group of sales people on building their Personal Brand as part of their position as thought leaders in their industry. We spent a considerable amount of time talking about testimonials and their value.

Like a business we all have something to sell or that we’re trying to create an influence with. So what’s the benefit for your target audience in having a testimonial or recommendation from a satisfied client?

1. It gives hope: the person looking at your offering uses their imagination to think “wow, I would love that to happen for me.” They make the direct connection to what that means for them and they have come up with it themselves without you telling them.

2. What others say about us is more important than what we say about ourselves: sometimes it can help to tone down self-selling and let others do the talking. Make sure the balance is right. This helps build trust in your potential employer or client.

3. Brand Leverage: If you have a position in a well-recognised brand, the reader will make a decision to call you based on brand association. They may not know you but they will make a judgement about you based on the brand/company. It sends a clear message about who you CAN help.

4. The potential client/employer sees themselves in that client you helped: Based on stereotype they will make their own connection about that person and they’ll think “they’re just like me,” “that’s exactly the problem I’m having” or “that’s exactly the result I want”. The best thing is the recommendation will be in the words that are being used amongst your clients, not what you think the most meaningful words are.

5. It’s easier: You can replace a truckload of content and get to the point through recommendations or testimonials, so it will do the majority of the work for you. This helps if you are struggling with a tight word count. By the time you get to a client meeting you’ll be answering the question “when can you begin helping us?” as opposed to spending the meeting proving yourself.

Explore different ways that you can make it easier for your potential clients or recruiters to see what others say about you on your website or LinkedIn profile. Making them dig for information will only let your competition beat you to the post.

Need help with your LinkedIn Profile? See our LinkedIn writing and coaching services here.