When I gave someone a referral, I tried not to simply hand them a name and telephone number.
I wanted the introduction to be worthwhile for both people.
So before making it, I usually tried to understand a few things.
Was the person serious?
Was the work a good fit for the professional I was recommending?
Did they have a reasonable idea of what they wanted?
Had I explained enough about the person I was recommending that they understood why I thought the introduction made sense?
When possible, I also let the person receiving the referral know what was coming.
That meant they weren’t answering a call from a complete stranger with no context.
I thought of it as doing some of the work before making the introduction.
Not because I expected anything in return.
It simply seemed respectful of everyone’s time.
A good referral should make the next conversation easier.
If all I’ve done is transfer a name from one person to another, I’m not sure I’ve added very much value.