The Perfect Email Introduction + Dealing With Rejection
Short, Sweet With No Assumptions
An email this week, illustrating with simplicity, how to facilitate an introduction — which I’m passing along as yes, as you’re madly searching social media sites for business leads or insider introductions to boost a job application, it becomes “easy” just to seek or make an introduction without asking the other person first.
Here’s the email template I’d suggest (politely and strongly) you follow — as this one, lead to a meaningful conversation:
Hi Kelly,
I hope you’re doing as well as can be in these strange times, and are safe and healthy!
#BYDN note + editorial suggestion: Quick Intro acknowledging the current state of affairs. Perhaps could have been improved with a little personalization, gathered from a glance at my recent social media postings, but no biggie.
A longtime friend of X’s [name of organization + name of individual], noticed via LinkedIn that we were connected. She’s followed your posts, in particular webinars/podcasts for women entrepreneurs you’ve recently been interviewed on such as LIFT Labs podcast, and would love to speak to you about collaborating on some women’s network programming.
#BYDN note: Crucial connection to the sender established plus, more critically, identification of intersection of networking interests with the recipient (me!). Now mutual or common interest(s) is key but not sufficient, read on.
Details on [name of individual seeking the intro] and what she gets up to, below. If you’re interested let me know and I’ll put you two in touch!
#BYDN note: “If you’re interested” is essential! Never assume that the other person is interested. Beyond being busy or working on a deadline, being absolutely over the topic for the proposed conversation could be a good reason why someone would say “no thanks” to the introduction.
Need more on this topic of making email introductions?
Head to page 202 of Build Your Dream Network in the Chapter on Networking #Fails which starts with:
“To say I am not a fan of the “you two should know each other” e-mail is an understatement. I refer to these sorts of e-mails as “dump and drive.” Someone with seemingly good intentions thinks two people should meet, sends an e-mail with no further information, and whizzes off.”
Don’t be that dump + drive “you two should talk” or “you two should know each other” email intro without asking first person.
Sending better, more thoughtful and considerate emails (not simply when you imagine you’re making great introductions) leads nicely into this week’s episode of the Build Your Dream Network podcast:
The new episode is another pre-COVID19 interview, recorded in the studio at Penguin Random House with my amazing team (Stephanie, Charlotte and Pat) who make the weekly Build Your Dream Network podcast possible.
The interview is with my friend, cartoonist Liza Donnelly for whom rejection has been a weekly job reality since 1977, when she began submitting her cartoons to The New Yorker for publication. Don’t miss it. And don’t miss Liza’s daily #lizadraws on Twitter.
