How to make an introduction with no risk to your reputation

A lot of us use the words introduction and referral interchangeably, but they mean two different things.

An introduction doesn't carry the power of your name. It sounds like this: Hey George, I met Susie yesterday and I don't know her well yet, but it sounded like you two should probably talk, because there might be something you can do together. You told them up front that you barely know her. You took no personal risk, and you still helped two people connect.

A referral is when you say: I've worked with Justin for 10 years. He's the best. I absolutely recommend you hire him. Be very careful with that one. (I do actually know a Justin, I like him a lot, and you should hire that Justin.)

Referrals carry weight because people act on them. In a 2011 Journal of Marketing study, Philipp Schmitt, Bernd Skiera and Christophe Van den Bulte tracked about 10,000 customers of a German bank and found that referred customers were at least 16 percent more valuable than similar customers who came in other ways. That's what your name adds, and why you protect it.

Once you get comfortable with the idea that an introduction doesn't need to cost you anything or carry any risk, it becomes an easy, generous thing to do. Save referrals for the people you'd stake your reputation on, and make introductions freely.

Introductions are at the center of how I help fractionals and consultants. To talk about it, book a networking chat.