Write an introduction request the recipient can say yes to

A good introduction request reduces the work and the social risk for the person receiving it. This script helps you name the fit, explain the specific ask, give the recipient an easy decline, and provide a forwardable note that preserves the recipient’s control.

### Use this when Use this when you have identified a relevant person or organisation but do not yet have a direct relationship. It works for a warm referral, a cross-border programme conversation, a founder support request or a specialist introduction. It is not a licence to forward someone’s details without permission. Introduction is a small partnership act. Techstars describes network partnerships as strategic collaborations that should create meaningful impact for both founders and partner organisations, with engagement shaped around expertise, support and collaboration. [1] The practical lesson is to make the mutual relevance explicit and keep the first step small. ### The outcome The intermediary can understand the fit in less than a minute, forward a clean note without rewriting it, and decline without awkwardness. The recipient knows why they were selected, what the first conversation is for, how long it might take, and what they can say no to. ### Before you start **Inputs:** the recipient’s public profile or programme page, your one-sentence purpose, the specific outcome you want from a first conversation, and a realistic time request. Check that the request is within the intermediary’s relationship and that you are not asking for confidential information. **People:** requester, intermediary and recipient. Decide whether the intermediary should remain copied, make a three-way email introduction, or ask the recipient first. Use the least intrusive route. **Time:** ten minutes to research, ten minutes to draft, and a follow-up date. If you cannot explain the fit in two sentences, do not send yet. ### Step by step 1. **Name the decision or learning need.** Replace “I’d love to connect” with “I want to understand whether our cross-border founder exchange could fit your market-entry support work.” A specific purpose lets the recipient decide quickly. 2. **Show why this recipient, not just any contact.** Refer to a public programme, geography, sector or stated need. Do not flatter or imply an existing relationship. If the match is inferred, label it as a hypothesis. 3. **Offer a small first step.** Ask for a 20–30 minute exploratory call, a reply to one question, or permission to send a one-page brief. Do not ask for a partnership decision in the introduction. 4. **State what you will bring.** Offer a concise programme overview, relevant participant profile, market question or potential contribution. Avoid promises about participant numbers, deal flow or outcomes unless already approved and evidenced. 5. **Give a no-pressure exit.** Write, “If this is not relevant, no reply is needed,” or ask the intermediary to decline on the recipient’s behalf. A yes that is obtained through pressure is a weak start. 6. **Prepare a forwardable note.** Put the context, ask, links and suggested time in a block the intermediary can forward unchanged. Keep it free of internal commentary. 7. **Ask the intermediary for permission to use their name.** Do not imply endorsement. If they agree, confirm what they are comfortable forwarding and whether they want to stay involved. 8. **Follow up once, usefully.** After a reasonable interval, send one short follow-up with a new piece of context or a clear close. If there is no response, close the loop and do not keep escalating through other channels. 9. **Record the outcome.** Note whether the request was accepted, declined, unanswered or redirected. Do not treat a polite acknowledgement as a partnership. ### Templates **Message to the intermediary** ```text Subject: Could you ask [recipient] whether this is relevant? Hi [intermediary], Would you be comfortable introducing me to [recipient/team]? I am exploring [specific question or small opportunity] because [one sentence on fit]. I found [public page/profile] useful context. The ask would be a 25-minute exploratory call, not a commitment. I would share [what you will bring] and ask about [two questions]. If it is not relevant, please feel free to say no or ignore this request. If helpful, here is a forwardable note: --- Hello [recipient], I thought you might be interested in a short conversation with [requester/team]. They are [plain description]. They are exploring [specific question] in relation to [publicly relevant context]. Would a 25-minute call be useful? No problem if not. [link] | [contact] --- Thank you, [requester] ``` **Recipient’s first-call opener:** “Would it be useful if we spend ten minutes on context, ten on the question, and five deciding whether a next step exists?” ### Common mistakes Do not write a biography instead of an ask. Do not make the intermediary do research, scheduling and rewriting. Do not attach a large deck before relevance is established. Do not promise access to people or capital you do not control. Do not send repeated nudges across channels. Do not call a referral “warm” when the intermediary has not agreed to make it. ### How to tell it worked The intermediary can forward the note as written. The recipient can identify the purpose, time and next decision. Declines arrive early and politely. Accepted calls begin with shared context rather than an explanation of why the meeting exists. Your records show fewer vague introductions and more conversations with a defined question. ### Using LINKK for this LINKK’s recipient-led introduction requests are designed for this boundary: the recipient decides whether to accept, and only an accepted request opens a private conversation. Include the specific fit and small ask in the request. If a direct introduction is premature, post an Opportunity or Need with enough context for the right person to self-select. ### Sources [1]: https://www.techstars.com/for/partners/network "Techstars Network Partnership" ---