An introduction request works when the connector can answer three things without doing research: who you want, why that person makes sense, and what they can send. Search the network before making the ask, then give the connector a clear next step. The connector's agreement to help does not complete the introduction. The target still needs a chance to accept it.1 Together, these details turn "Can you introduce me to someone?" into a request someone can act on.
Build the request
Use this sequence to remove decisions from the person you are asking and see where the request stalls.
Choose the purpose
Decide what you want the introduction to accomplish before writing to anyone. The request should match the type of introduction you are making.2
If you want advice, call it advice. Use the real purpose when you are seeking investment or a job.3 A business introduction can concern a partnership or a new customer.4
Name the person
Pick the person before contacting the connector. A named target gives the connector something they can recognize and answer.
Say the target as a person: "VP of sales, John Smith?"5 Know the relevant titles and names before asking for the introduction.6 Suggest one or two possible contacts so the connector does not have to search their whole network.7 Specificity makes the request easier to answer.8
Ask for a direct introduction to the person you want to speak with.9 If you are already in a customer meeting and need access to a powerful stakeholder, raise that request at the beginning of the meeting.10
Explain why the connection makes sense
Give the connector enough context to judge the fit. The request should name the person, explain why the connection makes sense, offer an easy way to decline, invite the connector to check first, and include text they can forward.11
Tie the reason to the recipient. Say what you want to discuss and why that recipient is a sensible person for it. The connector should understand the value of the conversation before passing it on.
Prepare the forwardable text
Write the message the connector can send before you ask. This removes the blank-page task and lets the connector keep the wording accurate.
Include the person's name, company, LinkedIn profile, and the purpose of the request.12 Give the intermediary exact text they can forward or paste into an email with a personal note.13 Providing that text also spells out the relationship you want and helps the intermediary pass along accurate information.14
Use this structure:
Please introduce me to [person] at [company], here is their [profile link]. I am looking for [purpose]. If you are comfortable, you can forward the note below.
Hi [person], [connector] suggested I reach out because [reason]. I would like to [specific purpose]. If that sounds useful, would you be open to connecting?
Keep the note short enough for the connector to read and edit quickly. Make the next action obvious: forward the note, check with the target, or decline.
Ask for permission
Treat the first response as permission to explore the introduction, not permission to contact the target directly. Ask whether the connector feels comfortable making the introduction and offer to send the formal request they can forward.15
Use double opt-in. The connector should ask the target for permission before introducing them, even when the connector expects the target will be comfortable with it.16 This gives the connector a clean answer to pass back and protects the target's time.17 A good introduction also requires advance consent from the person receiving it and enough information for the connector to describe you properly.18
Send it cleanly
Let the connector decide quickly. Put the request where they can see it and provide the material needed to act.
Use a channel where you already have a relationship with the connector. Text and email are described as the easiest channels for getting a fast response.19 Make the introduction request within the first two sentences instead of building a long preamble.20
A direct message can follow this pattern:
Could you introduce me to [person] at [company] by email? I can send a short note you can forward if that makes it easier.
Then paste the forwardable note. The connector should not have to reconstruct your purpose, find the target, or decide what to say.
When the named person is unavailable
A specific request can still work when the connector does not know the exact person. Give them a fallback that preserves the type of contact you need.
Ask: "If not, do you know anyone else like-minded like yourself that I should be connected with?"21 This keeps the conversation focused on a defined kind of contact and gives the connector an alternative to a simple yes or no.
If the connector names a possible alternative, apply the same process again. Confirm the person's relevance, state the purpose, prepare the forwardable text, and leave room for the target to consent.
Complete the handoff
The connector's work does not end when the email is sent. Give the new contact enough context to understand why the introduction happened and what you want from the conversation.
Good introductions require work.22 Making an introduction involves more than connecting the two people by email.23 Reply promptly when the connector makes the introduction, thank them without turning the thread into a second pitch, and make the next conversation easy for the recipient to accept.
What not to do
These mistakes add work for the connector or make the target guess what the request means.
Do not stretch the conversation before making a request that could have appeared in the first message.24 At the time of the ask, the connector either knows you well enough to risk their reputation by making the introduction or does not.25 Back-and-forth messages will not change that decision.26
Do not ask for an introduction when you cannot explain how both parties could benefit.27 A connector with little context about the target cannot judge whether the connection will help both sides.28