And I’m not talking about approving an introduction request that comes your way – get proactive and bring people together!
The first post in this series was about noticing what’s happening in the lives of your connections, this post is about taking it one step further and actively helping them.
LinkedIn introduction
I wrote about LinkedIn introductions a couple weeks back, and they are a great feature of the site. You’ll want to use them to get in touch with people through your contacts, and when others ask you for an introduction, you should feel comfortable doing so.
(And if you don’t feel comfortable, consider how well you know and trust the parties on each side of the request – I can’t think of two people I know and trust that I wouldn’t want to introduce…)
Someone you should know
What I’m telling you to do here is one step beyond passive responses – look for opportunities, and actively bring the people you know together under the right circumstances.
Here’s a quick note:
“Sue, Jane,
I was reading an article the other day and thought it might be of interest to each of you, and then another thought occurred. I don’t see that you connect with each other on LinkedIn, so I’m not sure you know each other – but you should!
I’ve known Sue through the Women’s Foundation for years, and Jane through the Educational Forum just as long – I think you’d both benefit if you had the chance to get to know each other.
It’s been a while since we’ve gotten together – how about a lunch sometime during the week of the 24th…”
That’s it – just an opportunity to bring people together.
My friend Steve is always introducing me to great people…
Are you looking to “score” by bringing them together? Not in a directly measurable sense – you don’t want to do it with the thought that one or the other is going to give you a percentage of a deal…
But you would like to be remembered as someone that helped them, and that’s enough.
Yes – you need to be smart about it. While you’re not guaranteeing a result, you’d like to have a hint that the people would match up well.
Always accept this help from others
Here’s a no-brainer to end this note – if someone else tells you that there’s someone you should meet, meet them;-) It doesn’t happen all that often, and when it does, the middleman generally thinks there’s a reason to make the introduction. You get to reinforce your relationship with your contact, and also expand your network.
Do you have a success story to relate on introducing others, or getting introduced? Leave a comment – let’s see what’s going on.
steve