What Does a Good Intro Look Like?
We make them all the time, but what makes intros good? Brianna Rizzo, a prolific connector in the Liftoff community, shares her tips and tricks.
Liftoff community member Brianna Rizzo is a Talent Partner at VMG Partners, an investment firm, and is known in the tech world as someone who loves connecting people — and she’s great at it. Brianna is not just a super-connector, but a super-introducer. Brianna is on the board at the Women on Boards Project and VC Platform Global Community, where she’s organized events for VC Platform and Platform Leaders across 1000 firms. Over the last 13 years, Brianna estimates that she’s made an average of 5 intros a day, or upwards of 17,000 introductions over the course of her career. We’ve all made a lot of introductions, but Brianna is at another level. We’re pretty inspired. We asked Brianna to share some of her secrets for making the best intros. Let us know what you think!
— Eleanor
Brianna’s Tips for Making Awesome Intros
1. Lead with humanity — people love connecting with people
I'm such a fan of putting as much information in an introduction as possible that you can't find on LinkedIn. It just energizes and motivates people to connect with each other. It’s what gets people to respond. I like to share a little bit about where they’ve been and why they’re so special. This can mean highlighting an anecdote or something that the two people you’re connecting have in common. If I know that both people share similar values or have complementary skill sets, I might mention that. If I’m aware that someone has a unique hobby that might pique the other person’s interest, I’ll put that in the email as well.
The reason I know all these important details is because before I make an intro, I do a deep dive interview to really get to know the person. I think that’s why introductions come naturally to me, because I spend a significant amount of my day listening to people tell me their stories, and I ask follow-up questions to go deeper. Once I tap into that human level, the opportunities are endless to think about how I can help this person along their journey. Who else do I know really well that could be a great connection for them? Then when I’m actually writing the introduction, I try to share some of that human context.
I also love to ask “who” questions: Who did you work with? Who would you work with again? Who was your most proud hire? Who do you call on speed dial when you need advice? Who do you call to share great news? All the “who” answers tell you so much about the person, who they resonate with, and help you think about future connections you could make.
2. Include context — a little goes a long way
Obviously we’re all moving fast and sometimes it’s easier just to say, “You two have the background, here you are on the thread.” But including context, even in the smallest amounts, really does go a long way. At a minimum, I suggest putting the following into a subject line: “Intro: name/company name; name/company name.” Those little things really help in an inbox that can have thousands of unread emails, not only in the moment, but also when you’re searching for someone in your inbox six months down the road.
3. Don’t shy away from inconvenient intros — your network strengthens the more you use it
When someone asks the age-old question, “I think you’re connected on LinkedIn to this person, would you mind introducing me?” often the feeling you have is, “Oh I don’t know them well enough to make that intro easily,” and you decline. But what if you thought of the request as not just a favor, but also an opportunity to expand your network?
I think in those situations, it’s good to challenge yourself to think, “I don't know that person super well, but let me see if I could use this as a positive reason to engage them and get in touch.” I’ll send a note to someone that starts with, “We haven’t caught up in a while…” and offer the intro. More often than not, it results in an awesome connection for the person, and a rekindling of our relationship. Making those “harder to reach” intros allows you to keep your network current, and opens up more possibilities for connections down the road. I’ve introduced people who have gone on to become godparents to executives’ kids, angel investors, board members and more.
4. Give and take, and express gratitude
In reference to Adam Grant’s givers and takers theory, I try to balance giving and taking, and encourage others to do the same. If I feel like I am asking for a lot of introductions from people, I try to think, “What am I giving back? Am I giving introductions in return? Am I following up to let people know where the introduction led?”
I've helped a lot of people who are not in my VMG portfolio and over the years I've been fortunate to receive everything from flowers to simple handwritten cards. But what is so fulfilling to my spirit is hearing just a simple, “Thank you.”
Don’t forget that once you’ve been the recipient of an incredible intro, circle back to that person that made it and let them know the impact it made. An intro can change your business, or your life, so don’t forget to let the person know that it did. It’s why we all do what we do. It all pays forward, and encourages people to keep making valuable connections.
Thanks, Brianna, for taking the time to share your tips with us!
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