I blocked off some time on my calendar today to write some long overdue recommendations on LinkedIn. Fourteen, to be exact. Some dating back to more than a year ago. I wanted to write favorable recommendations for my connections, and had specifics I wanted to include. But I got stuck.

Even though I’m a writer, and a marketer, and a networker, the task was overwhelming for me. So I started thinking what would have made it easier for me, and ultimately, what will make it easier for you. Here are my thoughts so far on how you can write/ask for great Linked recommendations from your connections.

• Give reminders. Instead of my former boss, Rex Hammond, asking, “Can you recommend me?” he could ask some of his contacts, “Can you recommend me for the work I did on the TDX project? (or LEAD Virginia, or the Committee of 100, or … you get the point.)”
• Tell stories. I’ve always said that Stacy Schubert is the star to watch. I struggled with how to convey that exactly, in my recommendation of her, until I remembered a story that illustrated my point.
• Use picture words. When I wrote the recommendation for Robin Caughey, my favorite massage therapist, I had a word picture that I could not get out of my mind: the hands of God. So I went with it. I think it works in this context.
• Use strengths. My friend Christine Kennedy is so incredibly capable that writing her recommendation should be easy, but in fact it has been the hardest of all. How can I narrow her recommendation to just one or two things? By focusing on her strengths of strategic, communication, belief, etc. (I’m still working on this one, Chickee.)
• Write it for them. When I worked at the Chamber, we wanted to use testimonials in some of our marketing. We had members who were willing to say good things about their experience, but they just weren’t quite sure how to say it. So we wrote what we knew to be true, based on our shared experience, and asked them if what we wrote was something they would be comfortable saying. They agreed, or tweaked what we sent them. We got great testimonials for our use. It was a win-win situation.

I’ll admit, I haven’t written any LinkedIn recommendations for myself but right about now I would love to be in possession of 9 pre-written endorsements from my connections.

What do you think? Would it be helpful if someone asking you for a LinkedIn recommendation provided you with some (or all) copy to get you started?