This Email Template Will Make Introducing Two Contacts a Breeze

Awesome contact 1, meet awesome contact 2.

OK, introducing two of your favorite contacts takes a little more skill than that.

Making a professional introduction between two people is a great way to grow your network. You’ll be seen as someone who doesn’t simply send and accept connection requests, but takes the time to add value for those you’re connected with and build meaningful relationships.

Check out the steps, template, and examples below to learn how to do it right.

Follow these easy steps:

1. Ask yourself if you’re comfortable making the introduction.

If someone asks you to make an introduction you aren’t comfortable with, give yourself permission to say no. You don’t have to do every favor that’s asked of you. And it’s important to think about how many asks you’ve made of your contacts, to be respectful of their time and your relationship. If a friend comes asking you to intro them to every senior exec you know—be polite, but don’t feel bad turning them down.

Read More: How to Deal With People Who Always Ask You to Intro Them to Your Network

2. Get permission.

Before you start writing your email, make sure both parties are OK with the intro being made. The most straightforward way to do this is to send a quick note. Here’s a template you can use:

Hi [Name],

I was asked by [Name of contact who reached out to you], a [quick description of contact and/or how you know them], to make an introduction to you to discuss [topic or question they want to talk about]. But I wanted to run it by you first.. Let me know if this is OK and, if you’re interested, how you’d prefer to connect!

Thanks,

[Your Name]

Read More: The Double Opt-In Intro: An Email Template

3. Write a clear subject line.

Give your email a clear subject line so the recipients know what it is on sight and it doesn’t get lost in their inboxes. No need to overthink it. Something like “Introduction to [Name of person who asked for introduction]” will do just fine.

4. Get to the point fast.

You may choose to start your email with pleasantries, but keep them short. In sentence one or two you should be making the introduction or thanking the recipient of the introduction for agreeing to it.

5. Introduce both parties concisely.

Introduce the person who asked you to make the connection first by quickly and clearly saying who they are as a professional and why they asked for the introduction.

Be sure to add a quick line or two of background on the person you’re making an introduction to as well. This is an opportunity to make sure everyone is on the same page (and maybe pump up the connection who’s doing you a favor with a strong compliment).

6. Include next steps.

If either contact expressed how they’d like to connect with the other person (for example, over the phone or with an in-person coffee meeting) you can add that to your email. If not, you should keep it vague by saying you’ve introduced them so they can “connect directly” or something similar.

7. Walk away.

End your email with a statement that you’re leaving your contacts to get better acquainted, and then once you’ve sent the email, there’s no need for you to continue to respond to that thread. (And in most cases they’ll take you off future emails.)

We’ve put together an easy template that follows the steps above. Just fill in the blanks and watch your network get stronger!

Hi [Name 1],

Thanks so much for agreeing to talk to [Name 2] about [why Name 2 asked for an intro; e.g., their job search or a specific field, industry, or company]. I’ve copied [Name 2’s pronoun; e.g., him, her, them] on this email so you can connect directly [for a short call/and set up a coffee meeting/to chat/to get to know each other].

[Name 2], as I mentioned, [Name 1] is [most flattering one-line description of your contact you can think of while still being truthful; e.g., “is the best sales person I know” or “is a true expert in the industry”].

I’ll let you two take it from here.

Best,

[Your Name]

Here’s what the email might look like once you plug everything into the template:

Hi Lorena,

Thanks so much for agreeing to talk to Victor about what it’s like to be an accountant for a tech startup. I’ve copied him on this email so you can connect directly and set up a short Zoom call.

Victor, as I mentioned, Lorena has worked as a financial analyst for a number of early stage startups, and I think she’ll have a lot of really helpful insights as you think about your next steps.

I’ll let you two take it from here.

Best,

Candace

Regina Borsellino contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.