Introductions are the connective tissue of a professional community. Done well, they create careers. Done badly, they waste the goodwill of two people you respect.
Here is the playbook.
Ask before you connect
The double opt-in introduction is not a formality. It is the rule. Reach out to the person doing the favor first. Tell them who you want to introduce, why, and what you are hoping happens. Wait for the green light before you cc anyone.
If you cannot articulate why the introduction is worth their time, the introduction is not worth their time yet.
Write the email they would have written
Once you have the green light, write the introduction so that the person making it can forward your email with one sentence on top. That means:
- A subject line that says what the introduction is for
- A short paragraph on who the other person is and why they matter
- The specific ask, in one sentence
- A graceful exit if the answer is no
If your introducer has to rewrite anything, you did not finish the job.
Close the loop
Tell the introducer what happened. A two sentence update after the meeting is the difference between someone who makes introductions for you once and someone who makes them for you for the rest of your career.
This is, in the end, the whole game. Be the person who is easy to help, and the help arrives.
