What does a good business introduction actually look like?

Scott Cundill · 2026-10-29 · Edmonton

A good business introduction is short, names both people properly, says exactly why they should talk, and then gets out of the way. It takes two minutes to write and it can change someone's year. Here is one, written out in full, with what each line is doing.

The example

*Subject: Amira, meet Tom (bookkeeping for your growing team)*

*Hi Amira and Tom,*

*Amira, you mentioned last week that your bookkeeping has outgrown the spreadsheet now you have six staff. Tom runs a small bookkeeping practice in south Edmonton and looks after a dozen local service firms about your size. He set mine up two years ago and I have not worried about it since.*

*Tom, Amira runs a cleaning company that has doubled in eighteen months. She is organised, decisive and great to work with.*

*I think a twenty minute coffee would be worth it for you both. I will leave it with you.*

*Warmly, Sam*

Why it works

- The subject line says who and why. Both people know what the email is about before they open it. - It starts with the need. Amira asked for help, so the introduction answers a real problem rather than pushing a sale. - It gives proof, briefly. "He set mine up" is worth more than a paragraph of praise. - It is fair to both sides. Tom gets a reason to say yes too. - It asks for something small. Twenty minutes and a coffee is easy to agree to. - It steps back. The introducer does not chase. The two adults take it from there.

What a bad one looks like

"Hey, you two should connect!" with no reason, no context, and two people left wondering why. Or worse, an introduction nobody asked for, which feels like being handed a sales pitch.

Where do referrals like this come from?

From people who actually know you. In the Edmonton Business Circle, members say who they hope to meet, and a member who genuinely knows that person writes an introduction like the one above. Nobody is chasing a number, and an introduction that would not help both people simply does not get sent.

The Edmonton Business Circle

The Circle is led by four Edmonton connectors, Garland Coulson, Crystal Holberton, Chris Breen and Wayne Fredin, who make introductions like this as a matter of habit. The example above is made up, but it is exactly the kind of note they write.

Try writing one today. Think of two people you know who should meet, and send three honest sentences. It is the most useful thing you will do before lunch.