The "Forwardable" Introductory Email Format
We’re in the business of making connections, and the goal is to make them meaningful and mutually beneficial.
But it takes more than simply asking ‘Hey, will you introduce me?” if you want to be professional and respectful when asking someone to use their social capital on your behalf.
So we wanted to share a “forwardable” email format that we request from anyone asking us for an introduction.
If you want to not only increase the odds of the person responding, but make it super simple for someone to take the time and make the connection, we recommend the following “Forwardable” format and approach. Thank you Frazer Nagy from Transparent Kitchen for providing this awesome template for us to share with our network.
Quick side note - we’ve also written a blog post titled “Social Capital - The Currency of Networking”. We suggest you check it out as it goes hand-in-hand with preparing a proper email that can be easily forwarded.
The key ingredients.
Start with a personal greeting and statement as to why the person would be interested in your company or product.
Next, you’ll need a hook — one line that they could read back easily.
Most importantly, include Traction - whatever metrics and KPIs are meaningful to your company and industry. Think about pilots, user growth, key customers etc.
Include a link or attach your pitch deck.
Let’s walk through an example.
Personal greeting.
Name,
Great to connect with you today, and thank you for offering to introduce me to ________. I am interested in them because ________ and think they may be a good fit for us.
The “why” they would be a good fit is critical here. Refer to our Social Capital blog post but long and short of it - you have to frame it in a way that shows why they should care about you - your product, your solution, your company or simply why they would be interested in you - not the other way around. People usually get that backwards.
Onto the hook.
Here is more about ABC:
ABC Company has invented the first Universal Consumer Profile. No two people shop the same, as we capture their unique customer fingerprints we bring a new level of personalization and transparency to the retail industry that millennials and Gen Z's are demanding and experiencing in nearly all other industries.
From climate change to cheap throwaway fashion, our local retail economy is in crisis. ABC is solving one of our communities greatest challenges by re-imaging the future of retail.
Next up, list meaningful traction.
Our traction to date includes:
First to market;
500 influencer discovery sessions to date, 43% between 25-34;
250+ top retailers in 4 strategic markets;
25% compounded annual partner growth;
$400K ARR;
50 customers invested in our Pre-Seed round.
ABC is a graduate of the 2019 SuperTechStar YC 500 program and is backed by Amazing Ventures and the Global Angel Alliance. ABC has $X dollars in committed capital and is currently exploring investors who share our passion and bring expertise in solving large market opportunities.
Always include your slide deck.
To view our introductory pitch deck, click here. (include a hyperlink or note an attachment.)
A note about your deck. We like to recommend Guy Kawasaki's "The Only 10-Slides You Need in Your Pitch Deck" - check it out here and please consider this over 20+ slides with a lot of text.
-- End of example --
This “Forwardable” format makes it super easy for those you're asking to use their social capital and send out requests on your behalf.
Last thoughts.
Always send this in a "clean email" ... meaning, don't add it to an email thread that might whose formatting might be all over the map.
It is respectful for people to do a “double opt-in” when making an introduction so don’t expect someone to make a blind introduction.
Personally I don't mind if you follow up with me and ask if I've heard back. My inbox overflows and you're likely not the top of my priority list, so following up puts you there.
Circle back after you’ve had a meeting to say thank you to the person that made the introduction. Feel free to share a few things that were discussed from the call or any next steps.
Pay it forward - someone did something nice for you so keep you eye open for opportunities that you can repay the favor and give back to someone else in need of a great connection.
Good luck!
