How to Make Effective Email Introductions
One of the most impactful things I do these days is simply sending an email introducing one person to another. After thousands of introductions, I’ve learned some best practices about what make the other person most likely to respond.
If you’ve asked me for an introduction and I sent you this link, please follow these recommendations. You’ll be more likely to get a successful connection from me and probably from other people who you work with, too.
Make it easy for me to forward the email in your own words
Send me a new email requesting each introduction. Write the email from YOU to ME asking for an introduction to the other person in your own words. Don’t try to write the words I’m going to say because that will never sound right. I’m just going to hit “forward” and then add my own comments at the top above the text that you wrote.
Try to make it about them, not about you
In your request, spend one paragraph introducing yourself and your company and then add another paragraph explaining why the other person might want to meet with you. Put yourself in their shoes — instead of focusing on why you want to meet them, think about how they will benefit from the meeting. The more relevant and personal you make this, the more likely you will get their attention.
Here are a few examples:
I think Joe would be interested in meeting me because he’s been talking about 3D Printing on Twitter so much and his AngelList profile says he is looking for investments in this space.
I think Susan would be interested in meeting with me because of the work she does to promote female entrepreneurship and because there are so many similarities between her previous business and ours.
There are not many founders in Austin who have built successful marketplaces, and nobody that have done it as well as Rony, so it goes without saying that we would love to have him involved in some small part in this venture.
Keep it short, but let them dig in further if they want to
Finally, include a link to more information, a video, or a one page PDF attachment. Don’t send too much — you’re just trying to get their attention not close the deal.
Make it personal
If you want introductions to multiple people, send a separate, personal email for each recipient or company.
If this introduction is important enough for me to take the time to write it, then it’s important enough for you to take the time to customize the request.
These tips work
I’ve done a lot of introductions and there are a few reasons why you should prefer it:
- You control the messaging, instead of having me put it in my words.
- It’s more likely to get sent because you’re making it easy on me.
- The other person is more likely to say yes
Example Email
Notice that the email is addressed from you to me. After I receive this, I hit Forward and then write my own comments at the top about how great you are.
Hey Josh,
It was great catching up with you last week! Thanks for the offer to make intros to a few folks that could provide strategic value to ACME.
There are not many founders in Austin who have built successful marketplaces, and nobody that have done it as well as Rony, so it goes without saying that we would love to have him involved in some small part in this venture.
As a quick recap, ACME is a managed marketplace for IOT-based security infrastructure in the Oil & Gas and Defense industries. Imagine a whizzidy-doo-dad super impressive description of why this technology will change the world and make boatloads of money.
We just signed a term sheet with Name Brand VC for a $4M seed round, and we have saved a little room for a few strategic investors like Rony who can add value beyond the money. If he has an interest in learning more I would be delighted to set up a time to talk, or send our investor presentation.
As far as traction we have proven product-market fit with more than 100 customers and we’re on track to reach $1.3M run rate in Q2 on less than $600K raised to date.
Many thanks for your help!
Got a tip of your own? Please leave a comment or message me on Twitter.
For more tips on introductions, read this post by Auren Hoffman.
