Dear Intro-Making Friends

No one gives out badges for the most introductions made.

Jesse Middleton
Jesse Middleton

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I want to share a few tips on making good introductions that will leave a good, lasting impression on both parties. It’s not rocket science but it isn’t always as easy as it looks.

Be Honest

This should go without saying but don’t introduce people you don’t know or can’t vouch for. I see hundreds of introductions being made through social media, email, text and in person every single day and one of the worst things that people can do to damage their reputation and the introduction is to lie. Don’t worry, people won’t get mad at you for not knowing someone. They will be annoyed if you pretend to. Some examples of what not to do:

  1. Don’t say, “Meet my good buddy, George.” if you’ve never met George or you’re not good buddies.
  2. “Jen is a really amazing Ruby developer!” is not appropriate if you have never worked together or have no way of actually verifying her skills.
  3. When thinking about describing someone, use words that actually matter. Saying, “Sally is a rockstarsuperninjakickass marketing guru,” doesn’t really mean anything and just fills up more space.

Keep It Simple

Introductions don’t need to be long winded or super detailed (they should definitely be shorter than this post). If the connection happens, the two people you’ve introduced can hash out all the details together. When it gets complicated people tend to nod off and sometimes they’ll just ignore the introduction altogether.

Provide Value

This is probably the hardest to do in a short introduction. When you want two people to meet there should always be a reason. Whether it’s for a budding friendship or business, make sure you’re not wasting an opportunity to connect two really great people. You don’t need to spell out the details (see simple, above) but you should put a line in to share why you think they should meet.

Get Approval

When each person receives the email they should both already be expecting it. Make sure you ask if it’s appropriate to make it before you send it off. This is especially true for higher profile individuals or just those who are crazy busy (and who isn’t today?).

Remember to put your best foot forward when clicking send. A concise introduction between two great people can create a friendship or partnership that can last a lifetime.

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