While many still consider LinkedIn Endorsements to be meaningless in terms of a testament to one’s skills and abilities, they are still a relevant and productive tool to engage with your network. I often wonder if I’m a single endorsement in a connection’s day or part of a mass “endorse all” prompted by LinkedIn. To make the most of the endorsements I’ve received, I started to use them as reasons to follow-up and engage with my connections; many of whom I may not have spoken to in quite a while.
When I get notified that someone has endorsed me, I send a quick message back to them thanking them for the LinkedIn Endorsement and asking if there is anything I can help them with. This ensures that I stand out from the pack of endorsements that they clicked through. For those that provided the endorsement sincerely, it often means that I came to mind and they thought to reach out. Perhaps they’ve even been meaning to talk with me about my services. By acknowledging the endorsement, I re-open lines of communication for whatever is on their mind.
The message below is an example of my quick follow-up and the results it can produce. I hadn’t spoken to this connection in over 2 years. We both respect each other’s work and follow along with updates through LinkedIn. When I saw his endorsement, he immediately came into my thoughts and I recalled the work we had previously done together. In his message, he mentions that he was considering attending a webinar I was producing. My timely message to him, helped seal his commitment to attend the webinar. I also received a nice update on what he’s working on which leads me to ideas for how I can help him with his current projects. The conversation will continue as I inquire to learn more about these projects.
LinkedIn Endorsements are a great way to put yourself on someone’s radar, especially if you’ve not been in touch for a while. Include endorsements in your LinkedIn strategy as another way to engage with your network.
LinkedIn is a GREAT tool that I think many folks forget about or even bypass! Thanks for the reminder!
That is a great idea! I, too, often assume that they were clicking on “endorse” willy nilly but that’s no reason to not follow up.
Wendy and Kristen,
Thanks for your comments. If you’re on LinkedIn, I’m happy to connect with you. You can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyyerges/.