While we are all practicing social distancing to the best of our abilities, I want to suggest a way we can help each other make better and more efficient referrals by email.

We all know that the best introductions are the in-person, face-to-face introductions we can not currently do. In person you can accomplish in under five minutes what can take 30 minutes or more in email composition, editing, and proof-reading. It would typically take that long for me to compose a personal introduction, explain why I think each contact would benefit from talking with the other, share the relevant contact information, and add some text about reaching out to me if they have trouble connecting.

What we need to do is make this process easier, and that means sharing some reusable content with people who are making these email introductions for us. 

I want to suggest that each of us consider creating a brief, simple message, to be shared with potential clients or referral sources. In a simpler, shorter form than the referral guide idea I’ve shared before, answer the following question:

What are three complaints my ideal clients have expressed?

This answer gets used in an email this way:

To potential networking referral:

Hi Gregg, I was talking with my associate David, and he mentioned to me that he typically works with bright small business owners who have the following concerns:

Complaint 1

Complaint 2

Complaint 3

When I told him about what you having going on, he suggested you seemed very similar to many of his former customers, and he asked me to make an introduction.

So, with very little editing, we can share some copy that can be easily re-used when making introductions. It’s easy, indirect (so it does not seem like a pushy sales letter), and can be quickly copied and pasted, edited and sent.

Introductions via Email, part 2

We all need to create some simple, forward-able email text we can share with each other to make it quicker and easier to do email introductions. The message would be created by answering the question

What are three complaints my ideal bosses or customers have expressed?

And gets used in an email introduction this way:

Dear <referral>, my associate, Sam, works with people like you who have the following concerns:

Complaint 1

Complaint 2

Complaint 3

When I told her about you, she said you seem very similar to her prior experiences and she asked that I introduce you.

Don’t overthink it. Make the introduction.

This week I received an email from a friend of mine that used a similar technique we can all also model. He wrote:

I am writing on behalf of my wife, Lili. If you know someone who is interested in speaking with an investment financial advisor, please have them call her.  I'm reaching out now as a service to folks in my network because recent market uncertainty and volatility have rocked our world.  People want a steady experienced hand to help guide the way. And sure, I'm biased, but Lili is the real deal. And can help.  

He then shared her contact info, and some additional details about her qualifications.

These emails are so simple, but because they are personal introductions they will work.

In our 1-2-1s, I want to suggest we each try to create and share this kind of content for each other. As we collect this, we can re-use them in our email referrals and we will be able to make more and better referrals.