This business is all about networking. Time and time again on here and on YouTube I have stressed the importance of using your current connections to introduce you to more people to help broaden your horizons and propel your career. However there is a right way and a wrong way to make an introduction. It can be very irksome to get a connection email out of the blue or without a clear understanding of what the connection is asking for. I am not a super formal person, but I do wish we had some better etiquette as a community. Here is some advice for connecting two people who don't know each other professionally.
1) Ask first. It's jarring to get an email out of nowhere introducing me to a new person, especially if that person is going to be asking for my time or resources. You're essentially volunteering me for a job without my consent. There are very few circumstances in which I wouldn't help someone if it were in my ability to do so, but for example I may be dealing with something in my personal life that means I don't have a ton of capacity, I may be conflicted out of a specific conversation because of my job, or I might feel like I'm not the one to help with that particular task. Your ask doesn't have to be formal but it does have to exist. Depending on our relationship text or email me with a little relevant context and then wait for a response. It might look something like "Hey Nancy, my cousin's boyfriend is graduating college and is interested in working on a campaign. I told him you run a listserve and also have advice for people starting out. Would it be okay to connect you?"
2) Follow my preferred mode of conversation. If you connect me to someone via Facebook DM, I am unlikely to ever see it. I don't talk about partisan things on my work email and texting feels too personal for me so in the above example I would prefer to talk by email, but everyone and every situation is different so make sure to ask how I would prefer you introduce us. (You can simply ask "is email okay? Is it still ...") Even if I've agreed to have a conversation, it can be off-putting and inefficient to initiate the conversation on an unanticipated platform, so make sure to clarify before setting it up!
3) Provide accurate context on both sides. I've spoken before about how it can feel disrespectful to get networking questions about which I have no expertise, but if you haven't adequately prepared the person you are introducing to me it's hardly their fault. Similarly, the advice I'd give to someone who has done several campaigns is very different to that which I would give a career switcher so its helpful for me to have context going in as well. It's good to brief us separately and then provide context when you actually connect us so that our expectations are aligned. I can't tell you how many calls I've had where the person wanted to ask me about how to work in a legislative office or be a journalist. It's fine for someone to want to know about multiple career paths but to set them up for success, they need to know which one I can help them with. Often intros are for people new to the space or fresh out of school so it is especially helpful to provide a little guidance so that they can make a good first impression with their new connection.
A good intro email might go like this:
Subject: Ann <<>> Nancy (CampaignSick)
Hi Nancy,
Introducing you to my former intern, Ann, who just graduated from Tufts. As I was telling you yesterday, Ann helped on our city council race last year but is looking to hop on the Presidential in 2024. I told her you might be able to talk her through what the different types of roles available to a new graduate might be and also sign her up for your listserve.
Ann,
Nancy runs the CampaignSick blog and listserve and has written all sorts of advice on starting out on campaigns. I'll let you take it from here.
Best,
Jeff
I hope you find this useful and I wish you happy and productive connecting!
Campaign Love and Mine,
Nancy
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