📄 How to get introductions, and the problem with binary questions

One of the best things that can happen for your business, is getting introductions & referrals.

It's often the easiest and fastest way to generate leads and land a client.

For example, a while ago I had a friendly, casual chat with an entrepreneur, and she said I should speak with her friend.

Once I spoke with that friend, it took about 30 minutes for her to hire me for a paid speaking gig.

No selling required: the friend brought it up and volunteered the sale, simply because the right introduction had been made.

And it's perfectly natural to ask for an introduction, when you're having a quality conversation.

But, there’s a right way, and a wrong way to ask.

Most of the time, people say “Do you know anyone who…?”

No matter how you finish that sentence, it’s the wrong way to start.

Because it’s a binary question, meaning: the other person will look for a yes/no answer.

“Hmmm… do I know anyone…? Sorry, can’t think of anyone just now. I’ll let you know”.

Which rarely leads to an actual introduction.

Instead, consider asking: "Who do you know, that you think I should speak with?"

When you frame the question that way, it’s not binary, but open-ended.

The result is that the other person will start flipping through their mental Rolodex.

“Well… I know James, Jim, Jill, John, Janet, Julia, Gerard - oh wait! You should totally talk to Gerard!”

People will be happy to make an introduction, because it makes them look good (after all, the most valuable person in a network is the connector).

Your job is to make it easy for someone else to connect you to the right person.

And you do that by asking the right kind of questions - in this case, the open-ended question “Who do you know, that you think I should talk to...?”