This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 515.
Be a connector, but do this first.
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Hello, Michelle.
How's your day going today?
Good, Lindsay.
How are you?
Good, Michelle.
Do you find that you are often getting introductions made like you're introducing other people or you're being introduced to someone else professionally?
Do you feel like your network's growing a lot or no?
Yeah, especially because...
I help my husband out with his business.
So we're always constantly trying to make connections.
So definitely trying to help connect other people and also people are making connections for us.
So I would say definitely, this is a huge thing.
That happens especially in the past year, year and a half.
What about you?
Yeah, absolutely.
Especially when I go to conferences or events. um then it's just a flurry of connections and you know that kind of thing but i find that the more like the more i connect other people the more people connect me it's like a yeah a karma thing you know it's so it's good to do both to be connected let other people help you and help other people even when it's not a direct one-to-one in that moment you know yeah yeah yeah exactly so Today, we're going to talk about how to ask if someone wants to be connected to someone else.
Yes.
So this came up in a Business English episode a bit ago about making email introductions when you want to connect people together.
Later on I'm going to give you that episode name and number so that you can know where to listen if you missed it.
So definitely stay tuned so that I can give you that information.
But yeah Lindsay, I mean sometimes in business you may have an idea of two people who you'd like to connect.
So it could be for networking common interests and you could be really excited about this introduction.
But you also have to start the conversation with the other person and see if they actually want to be introduced.
Yeah, especially nowadays.
I mean, not everyone does this.
I want to say some people just go ahead and do the introduction.
And I've seen that happen.
And I've never had any negative results to that.
But I think it's a nice extra touch just to touch base with I guess preferably both people if not one of them and see if they want that introduction, because we just get so overwhelmed and overloaded with our networks, right?
Yeah.
Right.
And it is true.
I mean yeah, you can make the introduction, but I think it is nice to see because it's It's good to put your feelers out there and it shows respect of that person's time.
So like sometimes it might mean that, you know, this is going to add stress to your life actually.
Maybe it's going to be helpful, but maybe it's like oh, I really am not interested in that right now.
Maybe at another point, right?
So I think it is nice to just check and to introduce the topic.
Especially if, as you said, add stress to the person's time.
So if someone knows... someone that might want to come on the podcast, right?
I would really want to make sure the person I know asks me first before just doing an introduction, because we may not be taking guests at this moment which of course we're always taking guests but or maybe I don't feel they would be a great match.
And it would be a little awkward if I get the introduction or you know.
So if it's going to be a drag on someone's time or Put an extra burden on them,
That's especially important to ask.
That's especially like.
Let's say, you want to connect somebody with a college student who is interested in their field and wants to interview them about it.
Informational interviews yeah, some sort of informational interview, some maybe.
Maybe you're love that idea, but maybe it's just not the right time for you.
Maybe you just are really busy and it's your busy season, and so to take 45 minutes an hour to talk to somebody you know so it might put a burden on them.
So that's why I think um, It is.
It is always nice to talk with, especially the person who you think it could be more of a burden.
Yeah, for sure.
It's because in American culture, American business culture, we really respect people's time, or we should.
That's the highest value is people's time.
I think time is in some ways valued even more than relationships in American culture.
Business business, wise.
So really important to just know that you know if you are doing that intro without asking, you might be putting a real burden on someone.
Okay.
So let's talk about how we can see if the person is interested.
So we're going to talk about this in steps.
So the first step is the intro.
Okay.
So I was thinking about is one thing you could say.
I was thinking about how you were starting to work more with ChatGPT.
Yeah.
What's another thing you could say?
Or I know you're interested in or I know you've worked in something.
I know you're interested in finding new ways to survey our customers.
So this is building context, right?
So that it's not coming out of the blue.
You need some context and showing that you are aware of what the person's doing professionally and You're up to date on that.
It's going to be more well received when you mention you know this person, right?
Exactly, exactly.
So you're kind of building that, Building that vision, building that world, explaining why, where this is all coming from.
And then you get into sharing the information.
So one thing you could say is, I have a blank who.
So I have a contact.
I have a friend.
I have a colleague who.
So for example, I have a contact who is really focused on how to use AI at work.
Yep, exactly.
And then we could follow it up with, I think you'd really enjoy talking with this person because X.
I think you'd really enjoy talking with my former coworker Christine, because she has been developing new ways to contact customers.
Ooh, it's a mouthful, but it's good.
Right.
So again, this could be a follow-up or this could be even a separate thing.
You know, like I'm just a different way of saying it.
So we're going to move on to the next step after the break.
Okay.
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Okay, Michelle, we are back.
So next comes the ask, as we call it.
The ask.
What does this mean, the ask?
This is the crux of what you're getting to, the main part.
You're going to ask the question.
You're not necessarily, you might not be asking a question.
You might be just putting it in a format saying, okay, this is what we're getting to.
We've reached the moment here.
What's one thing you could say?
You could say, I'm happy to introduce you if you're interested.
Or I can connect you if you'd like.
Or would you like me to make the connection?
And the third way is the most direct.
Like you're asking for an answer, which I would probably tend to do, because I want to know yes or no.
And then I want to get back to the person and be like oh sorry, I think you know this is not in their wheelhouse or they're busy right now.
Right.
I don't like the open loops, but it depends on your personality, I suppose.
Yeah.
Yeah true, that is definitely the one that is saying more yes or no, right?
Yes, yes or no, and move on.
You know yes um, and then you just have to listen how to, how they react, right?
So if they don't, you have to listen for what they say, but also their body language, how their voice sounds.
So if they don't seem enthusiastic, i mean lindsay, what could you say?
You could just say something.
You could keep it very casual.
And this is very casual.
So you need to know them pretty well.
So I'm like, OK, no worries or no problem.
Right.
If they do say yes, you could say it.
Great.
I'll send out an email today.
OK.
Yeah, exactly.
So, again, these three steps were the introduction where you're kind of building the context.
Then you're going to share the information and then you get into the meat of it actually seeing.
OK, is this something that I should move forward with or not?
Yeah.
And I think I mean, this is great if you're because there's nothing in it for you necessarily.
Right.
And that's.
That's the way to go about life professionally building a network.
There's not always something in it for you right away, right.
But things come back to you later.
As you help other people build their network, your network will build too.
So I think it's a nice gesture, but respecting someone's time is very important.
Yeah definitely yeah, um.
So um, i know you're probably wondering what was the other episode um, so this is the episode to listen to where this first came up.
So here we were talking about um.
It was it's episode 492 of the business english podcast and was how to make an email introduction in business.
So this is basically.
You know, maybe you've done already this step one and now you're making the email introduction, so this is a great episode to listen to.
Next, because Now you're going to say okay, I've done my homework and now I'm going to make this introduction.
How do I do it?
All right.
So then let's show our listeners in a role play how it's done.
Michelle, here we are friends and I have expressed interest in getting into the marketing industry.
Okay.
Okay.
So here we go.
Yes, here we go.
So I was thinking about how you're interested in marketing.
I have a colleague who is super friendly and works in our marketing department.
I think she could give you some ideas.
Oh, really?
Wow.
Yeah, she's great.
I can connect you if you'd like.
That'd be great.
Thanks.
Yeah.
And I think in this case, you would also want to check on the other side.
Right.
Yes, exactly.
Because that's who the burden, that's who the heavy lifting would be coming from.
Exactly.
Of course, I'm going to be happy to talk to them.
I want to learn more.
Exactly.
Exactly.
We need to know where the burden is going to be.
So here, next role play.
Do you want to go through the first one first?
Sure.
Yeah, let's go through it.
So building the context.
I said I was thinking about how you're interested in marketing and, And then what was the second step?
And you said, I have a colleague who I know someone who, right?
I have a colleague who is super friendly and works in our marketing department.
And then you said, oh, really?
Wow.
So I said, yeah, she's great.
And then I said, I can connect you if you'd like.
Okay good good, all right, let's do a second role play here.
Um here michelle, we work together, so we're colleagues and i need help learning a new software.
Okay, all right, i just have to figure out how to learn this.
I could use some help.
Yeah, you know, i think i have a connection for you.
I know you're interested in learning more about the tech side.
Yes, I think you'd really enjoy talking with Jason and billing.
He's so good at teaching those things.
He's helped me a lot in the past.
Wow.
That's awesome.
Would you like me to make the connection?
Definitely.
Thank you.
Great.
I'll email you both later.
So after you've checked with Jason.
After I've checked with Jason, if he has time.
Yes, exactly.
Jason might be like, ah, I was trying to get ready for my vacation.
Yeah.
And he's like, I'm working 60 hours a week already.
You know, I don't have time.
Do I really?
Now I have to check to teach this person something?
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So here you build the context by saying I know you're interested in X, I know you're interested in learning more about the tech side.
Right.
And then I say, I think you'd really enjoy talking with Jason in billing.
And I'm interested in talking about Jason.
Jason.
Yes.
And then I said, wow, that's awesome.
So I'm very receptive of the idea.
And then you said, would you like me to make the connection?
That's the question.
So that's the one Lindsay really likes because it closes the loop.
It's a, it's a definite yes or no question.
Yeah yeah yeah exactly, exactly.
Just move on.
If it's a no um yeah, i do.
I don't like open loops.
I don't think the human brain likes open loops.
Speaking of open loops, we have a takeaway for every episode.
So what is it this time, michelle?
OK.
So yeah, takeaway for today is definitely listen to that other episode.
Certainly, if you didn't listen to it already, this is really going to take you to the next step.
Now, what do we do?
They said yes to the connection.
Jason, you said yes.
He said yes to the connection.
Everyone's saying yes.
And now you're going to write that email.
So listen to that one.
And also yeah, this is a good, you know really three step process on how you can put out these feelers.
So give it a try.
Yeah, be a connector.
I mean, it's not something you have to do.
These are like extracurriculars, right?
These are not something you have to do, but it is what successful people do.
I will say that I've noticed that the most successful people, the people with the most robust network and eventually you need your network at some point in your career they tend to be the ones that do the most intros right.
Yeah.
So be a connector.
Yeah.
I love that.
Yeah.
All right.
All right.
Good stuff, Michelle.
Great topic today.
And I'll see you back here very soon.
All right.
All right.
See you, Lindsay.
Bye.
Bye.
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