Matchmaking

Over time, you'll work with a lot of clients. And your 'lot' of clients will have a very wide spread of businesses. Sometimes you find yourself talking to someone about something, and you suddenly know that one of your other clients could help them, or they could help one of your other clients, or maybe you just feel they have a lot in common and should meet.

Take a second and hook them up. Here's how I do it.

Open a new email and address it to both of them. Tom and Anna, say. In the 'Subject' line type only 'INTRODUCTION'.

Then the email goes like this.

Tom... Anna Smith has been a client of mine for about a year. She has a really interesting approach to helping service companies open new doors. She's also an obsessive traveller who's seen even more of South America than you have.

Anna... Tom Cooke is a friend of my brother's who I've worked with recently in helping him market his IT consultancy. Tom is off to Peru for a fortnight on Wednesday.

I can't imagine either of you would regret finding the time for a chat! Best of luck.

Then back away.

It takes 2 minutes to do. It makes 2 clients (or other associates) see that you're thinking about them and how you can help them, it gets a conversation going in which 2 people discuss you at some point, and it often creates new business for one or both of the people you've introduced.

And you know what? It feels good.