People are more apt to buy goods and services from a business when they see established credibility, a quality reputation, and positive reviews from others.  The value proposition of your professional career is no different – think of yourself as a product for sale.

Your product lifecycle spans a lifetime – build up a solid inventory of “positive reviews” over time similar to deposits in your bank account.

Having an arsenal of marketing content is the key idea behind “Career Strategy Framework > 5 – Sell the Value“.

Today’s Career Strategy Challenge is to get at least one recommendation or testimonial for the core service you provide in your line of work.

This could take the following forms:

  1. a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile from a colleague, manager, or customer
  2. securing a credible person as a formal reference that can be provided to recruiters and prospective hiring managers
  3. a testimonial that you can post on your website for solopreneurs with a full-time or side hustle business (note: if you are in-market for an amazing WordPress theme, I highly recommend Elegant Themes and they have a built-in testimonial module). Here is an example of a testimonial page on my website.
  4. a recommendation that is visible on social media or search such as a Facebook Page or Google My Business.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

  1. Think about what specific competency or skill you want to reinforce and what recent achievement best represents that. When requesting a recommendation from someone, don’t be timid to ask them if they are open to reinforcing something specific in addition to their ideas.
  2. Recommendations from people who are highly regarded with quality reputations can be powerful. I remember a person at Microsoft who only had one recommendation on his LinkedIn profile but it was from a renowned industry expert. Quantity is not always better.
  3. Be proactive by asking professional colleagues and customers for feedback and reviews as a normal course of managing your brand.

If you know someone who has delivered exceptional value and is outstanding in their field, give them a surprise gift of a recommendation or testimonial.

For those of you who enjoy reading about strategy and mindset, I have provided a relevant reference below from one of my favorite strategists Robert Greene.

Law 5: So Much Depends On Reputation-Guard It With Your Life

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Good luck!