In this article, we talk about how to craft a forwardable introduction email to make growing your network more frictionless. Forwardable introduction emails are key to getting introductions to investors, partners, talent, and anyone else with whom you’re looking to connect.
What is a forwardable email?
A forwardable introduction email is a type of introduction that is specifically designed to be easily forwarded from one person to another, and it can be an incredibly effective way to reach new connections. The email should be concise, well-written, and provide enough information for the recipient to understand who you are, what you do, and why you are looking for an introduction. A good forwardable email should include a call-to-action, or a specific request for what the recipient should do after reading the email, such as making an introduction or scheduling a call.
The forwardable email is sent to someone you already know, asking them to forward it along to the person you are trying to meet (without Cc’ing you). Including a forwardable email with your request for the introduction makes it easy for your connection to facilitate the introduction without having the extra burden of figuring out how to best describe you, your business, or why you’re looking to meet this person. When a forwardable email is written correctly, your current connection will only have to add a few sentences of context before forwarding the email over to the person with whom you’d like to connect.
A note about double opt-in
The forwardable email approach creates double opt-in. The person who receives the forwardable email has the information that they need to decide, “Do I want to connect with this new person?”
If the answer is yes, an introduction can quickly be made.
If the answer is no, the prospective connection can politely decline before an introduction is made.
Why should a forwardable email be used?
There is benefit to both the person who has prepared and sent the forwardable email and the person receiving it. Let’s use an example of an entrepreneur asking for an introduction to an investor who may be interested in participating in their fundraising round.
Preparing and sending the forwardable email acts as an exercise for the entrepreneur to clearly and concisely specify their ask and why the recipient may be interested in connecting. The entrepreneur should share initial context about their business and why it is a great investment opportunity. The entrepreneur should also specify what they need: an introduction to the investor to then set up a meeting to share more about their business and pitch the investor on investing.
The person receiving the forwardable email should have enough context from the forwarded email to answer this question: do I want to meet with this person? If the investor reads the forwardable email and is excited about the opportunity to meet with this entrepreneur and learn more about the venture they are building, the investor will agree to the introduction. If the investor reads the forwardable email and is not interested because, for example, the venture is outside of their target industries, they will decline the introduction.
When should a forwardable email be used?
When you are being asked to introduce two people you know, you should request a forwardable email to ensure that both parties opt-in to the introduction. Continuing the example from the last question, you would not want to continuously introduce your investor connection to entrepreneurs without getting their opt-in to the introduction. Doing so would place a burden on your investor connection because they would have to directly turn down the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs instead of telling you they were not interested in the connection in the first place.
Not using forwardable emails could create friction between you and your investor connection because you would then be known as the person who is constantly introducing two people without getting consent from both parties.
How to create a forwardable email?
Creating a forwardable email is not rocket science, but it does require some thought and planning. Here is some key advice to follow when crafting your forwardable email:
- Keep it short and sweet: Ideally, your email should be no longer than three or four short paragraphs, and it should be easy to read and understand.
- Be clear about your goals: Let the recipient know what you're looking for and why it’s important.
- Provide context: Let the recipient know why you're interested in connecting with them and what you hope to gain from the relationship. Provide some background information about yourself, your company, and your industry.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA): A CTA is a specific request for the recipient to take some kind of action, such as scheduling a call with you. Make sure your call-to-action is clear and actionable, and don't be afraid to follow up with your mutual connection if you don't hear back right away.
*We’ve seen a lot of CEOs create missed opportunities because they don’t follow up on a connection request. If you are looking for a rule of thumb, follow up a total of three times (once every couple of weeks) to give yourself the best chance of getting an answer without worrying about coming off as annoying.
Forwardable email example
Let’s go back to our example of an entrepreneur asking for an introduction to an investor. Below is an example of how a forwardable email could look in this situation.
Subject Line: Batman Ventures $500k Seed Round
Hi Laura,
Hope you are well! I wanted to reach out to get Batman Ventures on your radar. Given how you tend to invest in luxury brands, I thought that Batman Ventures may be right up your alley.
Let me know if you'd be interested in an intro. Details from Bruce below:
Batman Ventures Investor Deck
My name is Bruce Wayne and I'm the CEO of Batman Ventures, an apparel startup that specializes in functional yet luxurious black cloaks.
A few highlights about Batman Ventures:
- D2C: $230k in gross revenue over the past 12 months, with 72-85% gross margins, and profitable ROAS.
- Retail: 375% growth in purchase order revenue YoY; wholesale partnerships with Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Gucci, and more to come soon.
- Scale: We consider the $4.3B black cloak market as our starting point. We plan to expand and grow into the mask and glove markets to serve more customers and scale.
- We are seeking to raise a $500K seed round.
I’d love to see if you are interested in learning more about participating in our seed round. Do you have 30 min for an intro call next week?
Conclusion
Crafting a forwardable introduction email takes a bit of effort and planning, but it can be an incredibly effective way to expand your network and reach new connections. By following the steps we've outlined in this article and using the example email as a guide, you can create a forwardable email that is clear, concise, and professional. Whether you're looking to connect with someone new in your industry or expand your network in general, a forwardable email is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals and build meaningful relationships.