Best Practices for Responding to Introduction Emails
Research who you’re being introduced to. If you’re not very familiar with who you’re talking to, look them up online to see if they have a personal website or LinkedIn profile. Look through the things they’ve done and what they’ve accomplished so you can ask them more specific questions and show that you’re knowledgeable about them.
Move the original sender’s email to BCC. The person who helped you make your connection doesn’t need to be looped into your entire conversation. Move the person you just connected with into the “Reply” field and shift the original sender to the BCC. After that, the person who sent the initial email won’t receive any replies after your response.
Show interest and gratitude toward who you’re being connected with. You can build a better relationship with the person you just connected with if you’re polite and appreciative of them. They’re taking time out of their day to talk to you and build a relationship, so thank them and keep your email sounding enthusiastic and explain why you’re excited to talk to them. Be sure to thank the person who made the connection and sent the original email as well. You can mention it in a sentence at the start of your reply.
Introduce yourself briefly. Tell the other person a little bit about yourself so they have an idea about what you do. Try to keep your bio only a few lines long and only talk about information that’s pertinent and makes you stand out. You could mention things like your current role, achievements you’ve reached, or any personal details that help the person get to know you better.
State the specific purpose for why you wanted to connect. Be direct about what information you’d like to know or what you’re hoping to get from the other person. Try to be as specific as possible about what you want and try to relate it back to the person’s area of expertise.
Ask to set a meeting to talk more. An introduction email is a great way to meet someone, but it’s better to have a deeper discussion when you can talk on the phone or get together in person. List a few times where you’re available in the coming days to see if they line up with when the other person is free.
Proofread your email before you send it. Run your message through a spell checker and fix any errors you find. Read through your email out loud and listen for any errors or confusing sentences. Make sure you maintain a professional tone and avoid using emojis or slang words since they sound too casual. Check the subject line of the email. If it’s straightforward and easy to understand, you can leave it. Otherwise, change it to something like, “Introduction to Jim Davis” or “Maria Vang recommended I get in touch.”
Respond to the introduction email within 1 business day. It’s much more polite to respond promptly so you don’t keep the person you’re being introduced to waiting. When you see the email pop up in your inbox, send your response out sooner than later to show how eager you are to make a connection. If you get an introduction email during the weekend, it’s okay to wait until Monday to respond. You should try to use this opportunity to establish guidelines for communication. While you shouldn't let that email sit in your inbox for weeks, you're not going to lose the opportunity if you don't reply to it in a couple of hours.
Example Responses to Introduction Emails
If you want a new connection in your network: Thank you for the introduction, Stephen! (moved to BCC)My name is Conner, and it’s so nice to meet you, Gina. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. I’ve been following your blog series for a long time now, and I know I’ve found it especially helpful.As Stephen said, I’ve been a freelance writer for the past 3 years. My work has been featured in magazines and reshared thousands of times on a few different blogs.Since you’ve been writing for longer than I have, I’d be really interested in hearing about what changes you've seen in the blogging sphere since you started. I’d also love the opportunity to learn about your creative process behind your posts.Here are a few times that could work for a phone call or meeting.Wednesday, February 9 at 10:00 AM–12:00 PMThursday, February 10 from 12–2 PMLet me know if these times work for you. If another time works better, let me know and I can check my schedule.I look forward to talking to you!Best,Conner Schmitt
If you are interested in a position or job in the industry:Thank you for connecting us, Elaine! (BCC’d)Hello, Mr. Hartman,My name is Cindy Smith, and I appreciate the opportunity to meet you. I’ve been very impressed watching how your developments have led the company to dominate the tech market this year.Recently, I noticed a job listing on your company’s site for a software engineer position, and I believe I may be a good candidate. I’ve been programming for 7 years and most recently was a head developer at XYZ Industries.I’d love to discuss the details of the position in more detail with you when you have the chance. Here are a few times that could work for me:Tuesday, January 25 from 12:00–1:00 PMThursday, January 27 from 11 AM–1 PMIf a different time works better for you, let me know and I can move things around in my schedule.Thank you again, and I hope to hear back from you soon.Best,Cindy Smith
If you're a seller or vendor:Thanks for introducing us, Mark! (moved to BCC)Hello Ms. Vernon,My name is John Davis, and it’s so nice to meet you. I appreciate being able to connect and the opportunity to meet you. It's been really impressive seeing the success of your storefronts in town.As Mark mentioned in the last email, I’ve been in sales with ABC Industries for 4 years now hard at work developing a new product that would perfectly hit your customer base. Now that it's finished, we'd love to hear your input and see if it's something you'd like to carry in your store.I’d love to sit down and go over what makes this product special and why it would be the perfect addition in your retail space. Here are a couple times that could work for a meeting:Tuesday, January 18 from 9:00–11:00 AMWednesday, January 19 from 11 AM–1 PMFriday, January 21 from 3 PM–4 PM.Please let me know if any of these times work for you. Otherwise, I can move things around in my schedule if there's another time that works better.I hope to hear from you soon!Best,John Davis
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