In this lesson, you’ll learn how to locate recommended service providers in the LinkedIn Service Providers directory, make your own recommendations, and request recommendations if you provide professional services.
The LinkedIn Service Providers feature connects members searching for service providers with members who provide services. If you’re searching for a service provider, you can review peer recommendations before hiring. If you provide professional services, you can receive client recommendations and promote your services to prospective buyers through the LinkedIn database of service providers.
If you’re not a service provider, ask for a colleague or business partner recommendation rather than a service provider recommendation. See Lesson 10, “Requesting and Providing Recommendations,” for more information.
LinkedIn offers numerous categories and subcategories of service providers such as Consulting, Employment Services, Financial & Legal Services, and Health & Medical.
Finding the right service provider is a straightforward process. Click the down arrow to the right of the Companies link on the top navigation menu, and select Service Providers from the drop-down list. Figure 14.1 illustrates the Service Provider Recommendations page.
By default, LinkedIn lists summaries of the most recent recommendations from all members, but you can click the buttons at the top of the page to modify what appears. Options include displaying only your own recommendations, displaying recommendations from 1st degree connections, or displaying recommendations from 2nd degree connections.
Although the LinkedIn Service Providers directory can help you find quality professionals to perform specialized tasks, it’s important to analyze recommendations before making a hiring decision. Who are the people making the recommendations? Do the recommendations include valid insight into the provider’s performance, or are they vague compliments? How many recommendations does a particular provider have? In many cases, the quantity of recommendations is less important than the quality of recommendations.
To search for a specific type of service provider, click the appropriate service category in the Categories box on the right side of the page. LinkedIn narrows the results on the Service Providers page to providers only in that category.
If you want to find providers who live in your local area, click the Change Location link. Select a Country and optional Postal Code and click the Change Location button to view providers in that geographic area. Alternatively, you can choose one of the Top Locations for service providers.
To recommend a LinkedIn member who did an outstanding job performing a professional service, follow these steps:
In this message, shown in Figure 14.4, the provider can accept the recommendation, request a replacement recommendation, or archive the recommendation for future consideration.
Figure 14.4. Providers have the option of accepting or asking for changes on any recommendation they receive.
Providers also have the choice to display or hide your recommendation on their profile. Figure 14.5 shows a provider profile recommendation.
Figure 14.5. Providers can display recommendations for their connections—and potential clients—to see.
You can edit or withdraw (delete) a service provider recommendation just as you can any other recommendation. Click the Recommendations link on the expanded left navigation menu and select the Sent Recommendations tab to make your changes. See Lesson 10 for more information.
If you’re a service provider, you don’t need to wait for a client to submit a recommendation for you. You can ask for one by following these steps:
Read “Responding to a Service Provider Recommendation Request,” later in this lesson to learn more about what happens after you send your request.
When someone requests a service provider recommendation from you, LinkedIn sends a message with “Can You Endorse Me?” as the default subject line.
If you want to provide a recommendation, follow these steps:
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