The best recommendations begin with a variation on the theme of “I know someone who’s good at that.”
Sometimes it’s the start of a chain: someone knows a guy who knows a guy, and the trust from the first relationship runs mostly intact down the chain.
Conclusions:
- Be known for solving your kind of (interesting) problem. Be recommendable (remember these three things).
- Be deliberate in seeking and making recommendations.
- Share what you know. Be generous in recommending others. If you’re not for them, say so. If you know who is for them, share the recommendation wholeheartedly.