RMT006 How to use recommendations to increase your credibility on LinkedIn (with Viveka von Rosen)

Do you know how to build your credibility on LinkedIn? It’s no surprise that recommendations and endorsements are key. The trick is getting them. This toolbox episode offers quick tips to help you do just that.

LinkedIn expert Viveka von Rosen shares the following recommendation-building strategies with Leary Gates:

1. Connect with people who have written you recommendations in the past. Send a message including their old recommendation and ask if they’d copy-and-paste it as a LinkedIn recommendation.
2. Recommend others first. LinkedIn will encourage them to write one for you in return.
3. Get 1–2 recommendations per job listed on your profile.
4. When asking for recommendations, remind people how they know you and give them some talking points. Let them know what you’re looking to have recommended: “Can you speak to my ability to….”

Endorsements are akin to Facebook “likes,” telling others that you are skilled, well-liked, and influential. Here’s how to use endorsements to increase your credibility on LinkedIn:

1. Keep all endorsements, but delete the skills you were improperly endorsed for.
2. Thank others for their endorsements. 
3. Think of endorsees as “warm leads” and ask how you can be of service to them. 

How else do you use LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements to increase your credibility? Share your tips in the comments below.

Resources mentioned in or related to this podcast:

• LinkedIn.com/recs: LinkedIn’s direct URL for recommending someone.
• How to use use media to increase your credibility on LinkedIn with Viveka von Rosen, Toolbox Episode 2: provides three tips on how to use media to increase your credibility on LinkedIn.
• How to use LinkedIn to supercharge your next transition with Viveka von Rosen, Episode 31: provides practical tips, and a few cautions, as you prep your profile and gear up for change.
• How to Use LinkedIn Publisher to Get More Visibility, an article by Viveka von Rosen: offers insight on the elements of a good post, how to determine publishing frequency, sharing best practices, and more.
• B2B LinkedIn Launchpad Training Series, Viveka von Rosen’s comprehensive ebook: gets you and your business off and running with using LinkedIn for B2B purposes.