LinkedIn can be a very powerful tool for building and cultivating relationships. Some relationships can start off-line and move to LinkedIn, while others can start on LinkedIn and move off-line. As we build our professional networks, establishing credibility and social proof is very important. On LinkedIn, this is most commonly done by asking for a recommendation from one of your LinkedIn connections.
LinkedIn allows you to request a recommendation for the same position from three different people at the same time. They also give a template message that I do not recommend using. Each relationship you have is going to be different and you want to cater your message to each individual. Because you have the option of asking three people at the same time, LinkedIn adds a salutation on your behalf. You can’t see it be the recipient does.
For that reason , there is no need to add your own. If you do, the recipient will see both your salutation and the one that LinkedIn has added automatically and you will end up with something like this:
Dear Dave, (Linkedin’s Invisible Salutation)
Hi Dave, (Your own)
I’m writing to ask if you would write a brief recommendation of my work that I can include on my LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-Max Weinstein
Whenever possible, contact the person you want to write a recommendation off of LinkedIn first. Not everyone may be as active on LinkedIn as you are, or have the necessary notifications setup, and you don’t want your message to go undetected.
One last point! All recommendations are date stamped so don’t go on a recommendation request spree.
Help spread the word, by sharing this post and we can stop the double salutation from ever happening again!
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