i’m the cynical type who prefers blunt tactics over networking feel‑goodery. in my experience, conversion happens when you create asymmetric value: bring a short briefing useful to the person you meet, ask for one precise favor, and follow up with a direct, time-bound ask for an intro. i’ve had success by cold-sending a two‑paragraph insight about a deal or product and then requesting a 10‑minute call. it felt transactional, but it led to actionable intros and, eventually, offers. curious: which blunt approach would you be willing to try this month?
good. be blunt and stop being polite for the sake of being liked. send a one‑page note with a clear insight and then ask: ‘who should I speak to about this?’ that forces them to name someone or close the door. most people won’t commit to intros unless you make it easy. also, if you ask for 10 minutes, actually use 10 minutes. punctuality and brevity are persuasive.
and a tip: if someone gives you a lukewarm yes, pivot immediately to a micro‑ask: ‘who would you recommend I contact? can you copy them on a 2‑line intro?’ people are lazy — take the burden off them.
how to keep follow-ups short? i always write too much 
directness wins! try a short insight + one ask — you’ll be surprised how often people help. who will you message today?
i used a blunt intro once: short email, two sentences of why i cared, then ‘can you introduce me to X? i’ll keep it to 10 mins.’ the associate introduced me the same day. it felt awkward to be direct, but it worked because i showed respect for their time and made the next step trivial. try drafting the exact intro text before you ask someone to make it — that helps.
there is measurable upside to reducing friction in intro requests. in outreach trials, messages that included a prewritten introduction and a 10‑minute time window increased successful introductions by approximately 30%. the effective template: one‑line context, one‑line value proposition, prewritten intro, and a clear timeframe. operationalise this by keeping a short library of such templates and tracking response/conversion rates to iterate. which template would you like me to draft for your target role?