For those of us who really enjoy introducing people and facilitate networking opportunities, there has arisen an unspoken etiquette as to how email intros are made. Recently, I had coffee with a friend of mine just breaking into the startup world from a corporate role, and I found myself explaining this etiquette without realizing I had been following it to a T for the past few years. Here’s a guide for how email introductions work, and why I love them:

1) The Intro Email: Structure

There are three people involved in this scenario: you (the person making the intro), the person receiving the email, and the person you are introducing. The proper format for this email is something like this:

Hi Sally,

Hope all is well with you! I really enjoyed your last blog post “insert topic here.”

I wanted to introduce you to Bob. Bob is doing “insert startup idea here” and is looking to meet people with expertise in the industry. Naturally, I thought of you since you “insert flattering remark here.”

Bob- I’ll let you take it from here.

Thanks,

Stella

The more details you can provide while still being pithy qualifies the introduction even more. The reason I love email intros so much is for the latter portion: where you get to indulge in some flattery. People naturally tend to downplay their successes in an effort to be humble, so really laying out why you admire the person you are sending the email to should make them smile and feel great. It will also relay to both parties involved your respect and admiration for the person…something not generally mentioned in conversation. I see email intros as a method of conveying how much I respect the people in my network, and I always blush when I receive an intro email from someone who is following the same unspoken rules.

Notice, in the email intro, I am making clear who is taking the next step. If you leave it undecided, there is a element of uncertainty as to what happens next. I hate ambiguity, so it’s better for all parties involved to know what happens after initial communication. It also puts pressure on the person who you are introducing to get their butt in gear and send a follow up email quickly…otherwise they look bad.

2) The Email Intro: Follow Up

The follow up email should be short and should have a minor ask such as a phone call or a quick coffee, specifying options for meeting times. The person who sent the initial email should absolutely be CC’d on this email so they know that the person actually followed up. For they are, in essence, putting their reputation on the line by making the intro in the first place.

I also think it’s polite for the person who benefits from the introduction to follow up and let that person know how the meeting went. This of course depends on the relationship however.

3) Conclusion

It goes without saying that introductions should be made with extreme care, as you are asking someone to take time out of their busy schedules to do you a favor and help someone you feel is worth the time. Of course, there are millions of these flying around on a daily basis, so it’s really common to both send and receive intros regularly with the people in your network. That’s the whole point of a network isn’t it?…fostering mutually beneficial relationships which bridge the gap between different communities.

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