New @ XING: Market yourself with References

It’s always more believable when you hear praise from someone else. It’s no wonder that recommendation marketing is booming, and is being used more and more for acquiring new clients. When looking for a job, references are a big plus, too: they attest to the quality of your work, and are less formal than official letters of recommendation from your boss.

Turn your XING contacts into your references

As a XING Premium Member, you can now ask your contacts to act as references for you, and display these references in a separate area on your profile (you’ll find it when you click on the link under “References and Awards”. So go ahead and ask your contacts to tell your network what they think of you. A satisfied client or boss can make a big difference on how others see you.

References can be given with or without an explanatory letter, depending on the wishes of the referee.  Of course, you can always hide references you receive, or even delete them. Furthermore, all members who use this new feature can also act as a reference for their contacts, and to view references of other people.

“Word of mouth marketing” makes you and your “brand” more legit

The advantage of getting XING References is that anyone who visits your profile can see who recommended you. Your network is the best evidence that you’re a capable, trustworthy individual, with services or products to match.