Social proof plays a vital role in establishing trust, generating interest, and being presented with valuable opportunities. As an individual carving out your personal brand, incorporating social proof into your brand strategy is a must-do.
Social proof taps into a powerful psychological phenomenon where people instinctively base their buying decisions on others' opinions. This phenomenon shouldn't just be reserved for traditional companies; it's equally essential for individuals like you who are interested in shaping their personal, career, and leadership brand strategy.
We understand that asking for a testimonial, review, or recommendation can be uncomfortable for some, so here are templates that you can adapt and use to ask for recommendations over email or on LinkedIn.
Template To Ask Someone For A Recommendation Via Email
Dear [Recipient's Name],
I hope you're happy and well. [Insert something personal if you know them well].
I greatly value our professional relationship and would appreciate it if you could provide a recommendation or testimonial regarding our work together. Your feedback and endorsement would mean a lot to me and greatly support my professional growth and credibility.
If you are willing to provide a recommendation and to make it easier for you to do so, I'm looking to highlight the following skills so if you feel any of these apply to the time we worked together on [Insert What You Worked On Together], I would be grateful if you can reference them.
- [Insert Topic, Skills or Area To Include]
- [Insert Topic, Skills or Area To Include]
- [Insert Topic, Skills or Area To Include]
If you don't feel you're able to include the above, I'd be grateful if you could share your thoughts on our collaboration, the results we achieved, and any standout qualities or skills you observed during our time working together. Your authentic perspective would be a valuable contribution to helping others understand the value I bring.
A concise paragraph or more (in case you have lots to say!) would be great. Your words will be used in various professional contexts to showcase my expertise and credibility, and if you would prefer that I remove your name from any public versions, please let me know.
I recognise that your time is valuable, and I appreciate any time you can spend on this request. I am also more than happy to return the favour, so please let me know if you'd like me to do that.
Thank you in advance for your support, and if you have any questions or require further information, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Professional Title/Position]
[Company or Organisation]
Template To Ask Someone For A Recommendation Via LinkedIn
You can also use this template as a more informal email to the one above
Hi [Recipient's Name],
I hope you're happy and well. [Insert something personal if you know them well]. I'd be grateful if you could write me a recommendation. I value your opinion and your feedback and endorsement would not only mean a lot to me but also greatly support my professional growth and credibility.
I'm looking to highlight [Insert Topic, Skills, or Areas To Include], so if you feel any of these apply to the time we worked together on [Insert What You Worked On Together], I would be grateful if you could reference them.
I am happy to return the favour, so please send me a recommendation request.
Thank you in advance for your support, and if you have any questions or require further information, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Best,
[Your Name]
Don't overthink it! Adapt the wording to your style and hit send - even if you don't use it anywhere immediately, it is a lot easier to ask for recommendations and testimonials as you go than to go back and try and get them later.
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