Voice memo. AI prompt. Three clicks on LinkedIn.
A system for writing recommendations that sound like you actually
know the person... because you do. Imperfect and sent beats
perfect and pending every single time.
01
Capture
Open Voice Memos (already on your phone). Pick 2-3 questions from the list below.
Hit record. Talk for 60 seconds. Hit stop. Copy the transcript.
Your phone transcribes automatically.
Whatever comes out first is probably the truest thing.
01When did they make something hard feel easier?
02What did you brag about them behind their back?
03What did working with them give you that you still use?
04What would their next team get that they don't know to ask for yet?
05When did they surprise you?
06What's the thing they did that nobody asked them to do?
07What did they handle that most people would've avoided?
08What did they make better just by being in the room?
iPhone / iPad
Voice Memos app (pre-installed)
Mac
Voice Memos in Launchpad or Spotlight
Android / Windows
Recorder app (Pixel) or Sound Recorder
02
Prompt
Open Claude, ChatGPT or any LLM. Two turns. The first sets the standard.
The second hands it your transcript.
Turn 1 — Paste This First
You are an expert professional communications editor who specializes in authentic workplace writing. You know the difference between genuine professional recognition and LinkedIn bromance.
Before I give you my transcript, tell me: what makes a LinkedIn recommendation actually memorable vs. forgettable? What are the most common mistakes?
Wait for the response. Read it. Then paste Turn 2 with your transcript.
Turn 2 — Paste This With Your Transcript
Here is my transcript: [paste it]
Write a LinkedIn recommendation using what you just described. Fewer than 150 words. My voice, not corporate vocabulary. No words like "passionate," "dynamic," "innovative" or "synergy." No sentences that could apply to anyone on the planet.
This person matters to me. If a line doesn't sound like something I'd say to their face, cut it.
Specific beats eloquent. Every time.
Built on the RAPPEL framework — Trust Insights (Chris Penn + Katie Robbert)
03
Send
Six clicks total. LinkedIn desktop is easier for this than mobile.
1
Search their nameLinkedIn search bar at top
2
Click MoreBelow their name, next to Connect
3
Select RecommendIn the dropdown menu
4
Fill relationship fieldsTwo dropdowns. 10 seconds.
5
Paste your recommendationRead it one more time
6
Hit SendDone.
Imperfect and sent beats perfect and pending every. single. time.
The gratitude parked in the drafts in your head isn't helping anyone know they mattered this week.
Built on the RAPPEL framework by Trust Insights (Chris Penn + Katie Robbert).
Research cited: Center for Creative Leadership (2012), Rosenberg & McCullough (1981),
Gordon Flett Anti-Mattering Scale (2021), Jennifer Breheny Wallace, Mattering (2024).