Most people who come to us have already been given a name. A cousin knows someone, a website lists a phone number, a friend says "just email them". Often nothing happens. The email goes unanswered, or the conversation starts on the wrong foot because neither side knew what the other wanted.
That is the gap a warm introduction closes.
Cold referral or warm introduction?
A cold referral is a name and a contact detail. You do all the work of explaining who you are, why you are writing and why they should reply.
A warm introduction is made by someone both sides trust, after talking to both sides first. When it arrives, each person already knows:
- who the other person is, in a sentence or two;
- what they are hoping for from the conversation;
- why the person introducing them thinks it is worth their time.
The difference is not politeness. It is context. People reply to introductions that make sense.
How we make one
- We listen first. You tell us your situation in your own words, in your own language if you prefer.
- We check the other side. Before we introduce anyone, we speak to the person or organisation we have in mind and make sure they can genuinely help, and want to.
- We write the introduction. A short message to both of you, with the context each side needs.
- We follow through. We check in afterwards. If it did not work, we want to know why.
Why we insist on it
Every introduction carries our name. If we introduce someone who cannot help, we have wasted your time and theirs, and we have spent some of the trust that makes the next introduction work. So we would rather tell you honestly that we do not have the right connection than send you somewhere that will not help.
It also protects you. A warm introduction means someone has checked both sides, explained the expectations, and is still there if something goes wrong.
What we ask of you
Be clear about what you are looking for, and tell us if anything changes. Reply when you are introduced, even if the answer is "not right now". And tell us how it went. That feedback is how the network gets better for the next person.
Where an introduction leads
An introduction is a starting point. What happens next belongs to the two people in the conversation. What we promise is that every introduction we make is one we believe in.