The "Draft It For Me" Rule: How to Get Recommendations

The Friction of Asking

We all want more LinkedIn recommendations, but asking feels awkward. Worse, when you do ask, people say "Sure!" and then forget for six months.

The reason: They don't know what to write. You just gave them a homework assignment.

Writing about someone else is hard. Even people who like you will procrastinate because the blank page is intimidating.

The Strategy: Reduce the Friction

Don't ask: "Can you write me a recommendation?"

Instead, say:

I'm updating my profile and would love a few words from you.
To make it easy, I drafted a few lines below based on our work on Project X.
Feel free to edit or just copy/paste.

Then provide 2-3 sentences they can use immediately.

Why This Works

Zero Effort: They can click "Submit" in 30 seconds. No writing required.

Control: You get to write the narrative. If you want to be known for "Strategy," write a strategic quote.

High Success Rate: Acceptance rates jump from 20% to 90% when a draft is provided.

The Golden Rule

Always offer to reciprocate. "Happy to return the favour if you'd like one too."

This turns an ask into an exchange. It feels balanced rather than extractive.

Sample Script

Here's a message you can adapt:

"Hi [Name], I'm refreshing my LinkedIn profile and remembered how much I valued working with you on [Project]. Would you be open to leaving a short recommendation? To save you time, I've drafted something below—feel free to edit or use as-is. Happy to return the favour."

Then include your draft quote. Keep it under three sentences.

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