How to get a warm introduction to someone at a company
A warm intro carries something a cold message never can: the trust of the person making it. Here is how to earn one and ask for it without being a burden.
A warm introduction is when someone you both know connects you to the person you want to reach. It works because it borrows trust. The recipient is not evaluating a stranger, they are giving time to someone their contact thought was worth an introduction.
Find the connector
Look at who you already know and who they know. LinkedIn shows shared connections directly. The connector does not need to be close to the target, they just need enough of a relationship that an introduction is comfortable for them to make.
Make it easy to say yes
The kindest way to ask is the double opt-in: you write a short, forwardable note explaining who you are and why you want to connect, and you give your contact an easy out. They can forward it, check with the other person first, or decline without friction.
Would you be comfortable introducing me to Sam on the data team? I have written a short note below you can forward, and please do not feel any pressure if it is not a natural one to make. Happy either way.
Write the forwardable note
Give the connector something they can pass on without editing. Two or three sentences: who you are, why you are reaching out to this specific person, and the small, clear thing you are asking for. The easier you make it to forward, the more likely it happens and the better it lands.
Close the loop
Whatever comes of it, thank the connector and let them know how it went. People who make one good introduction for you will make more, as long as they never feel it cost them or that it vanished into silence.
Common questions
What is a double opt-in introduction?
You ask your contact for permission and give them a forwardable note, so they can check with the other person before connecting you. It respects everyone’s time and is the polite standard.
What if I do not share any connections?
Then a warm intro is not the route here. Reach the person directly with a specific, useful message, or build a relationship with someone closer to them first.
How do I not feel like a burden?
Give an easy out, keep the ask small, and make the note forwardable. When you remove the work and the pressure, most people are glad to help.
Reach the people who do the hiring, before the job is posted.
Backchannel is a fourteen-day system for the direct, referral-led job search this article describes.