7 Rules of Highly Effective “Can You Introduce Me To” Requests
The most popular business question I am asked is ‘can you introduce me to’. Sometimes, out of just making the world go round, I do this. That is not an invitation for random strangers to inundate me with requests. The one thing I hate is incompetent ‘business people’ or ‘entrepreneurs’ who are self-evidently too lazy to think.
Here are rules of what works for introductions. They are based on 15 years of experience and effectiveness. And yes, of course warm intros are best. But there is a way to do it.
Treat the potential introducer the same way you do a client
How much time and effort do you spend trying to acquire a client? How much thought do you put into it. How much time do you spend making it bespoke? How much time do you spend doing the background research on the client’s needs, their recent news items to find links to your offering? Do you consider why your client gains value, or do you think they owe you a living and should just buy your product? How do you reduce frictions to your client buying your product?
Treat the introducer like a client. After all, they may be able to introduce you to 10 clients. So don’t ask, ‘hey Alpesh can you introduce me to the BBC/Royal Family/God’. Read on to see why.
Remove the Introducer’s Frictions
Make it easier for the introducer to make the introduction. Suggest how you would like to be introduced eg a sentence or two on why your company is good, the value it adds to the person your being introduced to, how the introducer knows them, the email address) so it is essentially a cut and paste.
Keep It Short and Sweet
One para of two sentences or three at the most on who you are, and some name dropping one your credentials, who funded you, track record.
What you want — the ask. A meeting/call, with whom — be specific — see below? Are you in town? Dates?
Why it benefits the person/their company — again one or two sentences with some proofs, validations.
“The World Does Not Owe You A Living”
The Late Lord Bagri, former Chairman, London Metal Exchange
Be Proportionate
If you want me to introduce you to the Royal Family, you better be Royalty. ‘Alpesh can you introduce me to the British Ambassador in Brazil?’ — umm, why? How? Do you know what he does? Why should he be interested in meeting you and have you considered that by not explaining any of these issues, you are going to embarrass me, be a liability on my time, and just proven your business development skills are lacking, so your business likely to fail, and so one more reason I won’t be helping you. Oh, what’s his email? Have you worked it out what it is? If not, then you’ve not thought about or valued my time.
Draft the Message, Do Everything to Make the Introducer’s Life Easy
I’m not going to draft it for you. Why should I? Come on ‘entrepreneur’!
Who Specifically? Not Generalities
Don’t ask me, ‘do you know someone in the NHS? or the BBC?’ That tells me you’re lazy, have not done your research and your business will fail, and so will you. Who? Why? What’s their job title? I’m not going to do your thinking for you, even though you’ve just proven I could think for both of us and still have all my brain cells rested.
Know the End Client and Introducer
How do you get warm leads? Read the experts at it — LinkedIn including how to use it. https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/sales-solutions/cx/2018/pdfs/fins-read-this-prospecting-v02.pdf
Get Your Documents in Order
Need help funding, then it’s not just who, but what you need answered. I’ve created some great resources for you at the website below to get you ready to pitch. I’ve also got a video to explain this business development skill of door opening.
Alpesh Patel
The Author is Founder of www.pipspredator.com