A warm intro expires in 48 hours. Reply like it.
When someone spends their social capital connecting you, the speed and quality of your reply is the return on their investment. Here's the etiquette — moving the introducer to BCC, and landing one concrete next step.
The BCC move, automatic
Drafts open by thanking the introducer and moving them to BCC — the etiquette signal that separates practiced professionals from first-timers.
Context-matched enthusiasm
Thread understanding reads why you were introduced and mirrors it back specifically — 'keen to hear how you handled SOC2 at scale' beats 'great to meet you'.
One concrete next step
Every draft ends with a specific proposal — two time slots, one question, a resource shared — because intros die in mutual 'let's connect sometime'.
The introducer report-back
Guided AI also drafts the follow-up that closes the loop with your introducer after the call — the move that earns you the next introduction.
Real examples
You're being introduced for advice
You're being introduced to a potential client
Lukewarm — not a fit right now
Questions
Who should reply first to an introduction email?+
The person who benefits more — the one seeking advice, the sale, or the favor. If it's balanced, whoever replies first wins; speed is a compliment to both other parties.
Why move the introducer to BCC?+
It thanks them publicly while releasing them from the thread — they see the intro landed without receiving every scheduling email after. It's the single clearest signal of email fluency.
What if I don't want the introduction?+
Reply anyway, warmly and briefly — a polite 'not a fit right now' with one helpful gesture protects your introducer's credibility. Ghosting an intro punishes the person who vouched for you.
How fast should I respond to an intro?+
Within 24 hours, 48 at the outside. Past that, you're signaling to your introducer that their social capital was spent on someone who doesn't move.
Should I update the introducer afterward?+
Yes — a two-line report-back after the call ('we spoke, here's what came of it, thank you again') is what turns one introduction into a pipeline of them.