| Quick Answer: Writing genuine LinkedIn recommendations for clients, partners, and colleagues strengthens relationships and often earns one back. To write a strong one, be specific about what the person did, the result they delivered, and what it was like to work with them. A concrete, heartfelt recommendation is a generous gift that deepens trust — and reciprocity means giving them is one of the best ways to build your own social proof. |
Most founders think about recommendations only in terms of getting them. But giving thoughtful recommendations is one of the most underrated relationship-building moves on LinkedIn. A genuine recommendation is a public gift that strengthens your bond with the recipient, makes you memorable, and frequently prompts them to return the favour. Whether you are recommending a client, partner, or colleague, doing it well pays dividends. Here is how to write recommendations that actually mean something.
Why give LinkedIn recommendations?
Giving a recommendation is an act of generosity that deepens a relationship. It tells the recipient you value them enough to publicly vouch for them, which strengthens trust and goodwill. It also keeps you top of mind and demonstrates your character to everyone who sees it. And because of reciprocity, people you recommend often recommend you in return — making giving recommendations one of the most effective ways to build your own social proof. Generosity here is genuinely strategic as well as kind.
What makes a recommendation strong?
Specificity is everything. A vague “great to work with, highly recommend” means little; a recommendation that names what the person actually did and achieved is powerful. The strongest recommendations include:
- The context — how you worked together and in what capacity.
- The specifics — what they did and a concrete result or quality.
- The experience — what it was genuinely like to work with them.
Concrete detail makes a recommendation believable and memorable.
How do I structure a recommendation?
A simple structure makes writing easy. Open with how you know the person and in what context. Then describe a specific contribution, result, or standout quality, ideally with a concrete example. Close with a warm, genuine endorsement of what it is like to work with them and who they would be great for. Keep it authentic and personal rather than corporate. A few well-chosen, specific sentences outperform a long, generic paragraph every time.
Who should I recommend?
Recommend people whose work you genuinely admire and can speak to honestly: clients you have helped and who have impressed you, partners and collaborators, colleagues, and vendors who did great work. Prioritise relationships you want to strengthen and people whose success you care about. Only recommend honestly — a recommendation you cannot stand behind helps no one and risks your credibility. When you genuinely admire someone’s work, saying so publicly is both honest and relationship-building.
How do recommendations build my own social proof?
Recommendations work in both directions. The ones written about you are among the most persuasive trust signals on your profile, far stronger than one-click endorsements, because they tell a story in a real person’s words. The most reliable way to receive them is to give them genuinely first, which often prompts reciprocity. Because LinkedIn is where buyers evaluate you, and the platform reaches the decision-makers who drive business, per Sprout Social, a profile rich with specific recommendations meaningfully strengthens how prospects judge you.
How do I ask for a recommendation in return?
You rarely need to ask directly after giving one — reciprocity often takes care of it. When you do ask, make it easy: remind the person of the specific work you did together and suggest what they might speak to, so they are not staring at a blank box. People are happy to recommend you but often do not know where to start, so a gentle prompt with specifics dramatically increases your success rate. Always ask people who genuinely had a positive experience with you.
How long should a LinkedIn recommendation be?
A strong recommendation is usually a short paragraph — long enough to be specific and genuine, short enough that people actually read it. A few well-chosen sentences that name the context, a concrete contribution or result, and what it is like to work with the person will outperform a long, rambling testimonial every time. The goal is impact, not length: one specific, vivid detail (“they turned around a stalled project in three weeks”) carries more weight than several lines of generic praise. Avoid the temptation to list every quality the person has; pick the one or two that matter most and make them concrete. If you find yourself writing a long block, tighten it — readers skim, and a punchy, specific recommendation is both more believable and more likely to be read in full. Quality and specificity beat quantity, just as they do in every other kind of LinkedIn writing.
How can an agency help with this?
Building a profile full of strong recommendations and social proof is part of a presence engineered to convert. Attention Grabbers helps founders gather and showcase compelling recommendations and testimonials as part of our LinkedIn management service. To build a profile buyers instantly trust, book a call with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I give LinkedIn recommendations?
They strengthen relationships, show your character, keep you top of mind, and often prompt the recipient to recommend you in return.
What makes a recommendation strong?
Specificity — naming what the person actually did, a concrete result, and what it was genuinely like to work with them.
Are recommendations better than endorsements?
Yes. Recommendations tell a story in real words and are far more persuasive than one-click skill endorsements.
Who should I recommend?
People whose work you genuinely admire — clients, partners, colleagues, and vendors you can endorse honestly.
How do I get recommendations back?
Give them genuinely first, and when you ask, make it easy by reminding the person of specifics they can speak to.
Key takeaways
- Give first; when you ask, make it easy with specific prompts.
- Giving genuine recommendations strengthens relationships and often earns one back.
- Be specific: name the context, the result, and what it’s like to work with them.
- Recommendations are far stronger social proof than one-click endorsements.