Today I want to talk about endorsements. In my opinion, this is one of the more important posts on this blog because, at the end of the day, endorsements are currency. Most people don’t start off trusting your brand, but everyone has at least one person that they do trust. In order to alleviate a potential customer or employer’s potential fear that you may not be the right candidate for the job, an endorsement is a pacifier. At the same time, an endorsement puts someone else’s name on the line, so if someone is willing to back you up, you better deliver on that promise because it’s a reflection on them.
Endorsements, like money, don’t grow on trees. They need to be earned by delivered results or by strong rapport with another individual that is comfortable with backing your brand. There are tiers of endorsements based on the strength of the personal brand cited. If a CEO from a Fortune 500 company endorses you, it carries more weight than a director from a startup company.
Situations where endorsements can elevate your personal brand:
- Authoring a book: In order to market a book effectively, people are going to pay significant attention to who endorses it on the back cover. If no one does or the brands aren’t well known, then there may not be a sale. When selecting who to endorse your book, always go for celebrities first, then executives from large enterprises (corporate brand and title), and then other authors or respected individuals, such as professors. An endorsement in this way can make or break the sales of your book.
- Applying for a job: If you already know someone at a company you want to work for, connect with them and ask for an endorsement. By receiving help from a trusted corporate employee, the chances of success will greatly increase. If you don’t know someone who works for the company, then endorsements from your previous employers, professors and other people with good standing will help you build trust and credibility. Always enter and leave your job on a positive note because everyone always wants to see references.
- Pitching to a potential client: Unless you are a well-known brand, people will automatically not trust you, unless someone else tells them you’re capable. Just like interviewing for a job, everyone cares about past performance and an endorsement from a recognizable figure in your field will benefit you greatly in closing the deal.
Giving an endorsement to another brand:
- Be careful: Do not just give an endorsement to anyone, even if they are a family friend. I say this because if they don’t have the technical skills, motivation and resources required, not only will you set them up for failure, but you will damage your name. Like anything else, you want to associate yourself with the right people because they impact your brand perception.
- Review it: Before you submit an endorsement, be sure to understand how it will be used and purposed. Ask if they will put it on their website or if it will be on a references sheet for their interview. Make sure the grammar, spelling and that it comes off in the right way because it represents your personal brand.
- Marketing: One of the most overlooked parts of an endorsement is the marketing component. When you put your name out there, you benefit from the exposure, but not nearly as much as the person you are endorsing. The brand recognition when you keep putting your name out there will help you, as long as it’s targeted in the right places.
My quotes on this topic (full listing) – feel free to use them with proper citation
- “The first opportunities are the hardest to obtain because everyone wants to view your past performance.”
- “You are the chief marketing officer for the brand called you, but what others say about your brand is more impactful than what you say about yourself.”
How to leverage an endorsement
- Blog: I don’t put endorsements on my blog, but if that’s the only website you have, be sure to include a round-up of all of them. Some may show your speaking expertise, while others may talk to your consulting projects, etc.
- Personal website: I include most of my endorsements on my main brand website, DanSchawbel.com. There are many I don’t include because after reading enough, the reader gets the point.
- LinkedIn: One of the main benefits of LinkedIn is not the fact that it’s a virtual resume, but that you can add endorsements from your supervisor, co-workers or subordinates. In this way, it becomes a background check and gives you instant credibility. It also helps you network because when you provide an endorsement, the reciprocal nature (just like linking to someone’s blog) grants you an endorsement in return.
- References document: When you sit down for an interview, if you already have endorsement on your references document, you are way ahead of the game.
Thanks Rebecca!
