Kinnetly
An ideal referrals note should preserve what someone actually asked for, in terms they would recognise. It shouldn't turn them into a lead, and it shouldn't make a past request look like standing permission to introduce them.
That distinction matters because these details often arrive in ordinary conversation. A contact mentions that they would value an introduction to an employment lawyer. Someone else is curious about roles in climate tech. Another person wants to meet organisers of small professional communities.
You remember the shape of the request, but not quite enough to act on it. Or you remember it months later and assume it still applies.
A short, dated note gives you a better option: remember accurately now, then ask again when a relevant opportunity appears.
Record the sentence they gave you
Start with an expressed interest, not your interpretation of it.
“Seeking an introduction to an employment lawyer for a workplace question” is useful. “Needs legal help” is too broad, and “good prospect for lawyers” changes the meaning completely.
The first version stays close to what the person chose to share. It records a possible introduction they wanted at that point in time. The other versions add assumptions and make the note about someone else's opportunity rather than the contact's request.
If you're not sure whether the person was making a real request or thinking aloud, say so in the note. “Exploring…” or “mentioned an interest in…” is more honest than turning a passing thought into a firm intention.
Give the request enough shape to recognise later
A useful entry is usually one short line. Include the kind of person or organisation, the reason for the conversation, and a boundary the contact volunteered, such as location or timing.
For example:
- Looking to meet nonprofit finance leaders in Brisbane to learn about a possible sector move.
- Would value an introduction to an employment lawyer about a workplace question this month.
- Interested in speaking with organisers of small climate communities about event formats.
You don't need a dossier. Leave out sensitive background, private compensation details and your own judgement about who the person should meet. The note should help you recognise a relevant moment, not collect every detail you know about them.
Keep the date visible
Referral context can expire quickly. A role search ends. A project changes direction. A legal question gets resolved. Even a broad professional interest can shift.
A date tells you when the request was true. It doesn't tell you that the request is still current.
Kinnetly's Ideal referrals area stores a date and a short line on a person's record, with the newest entry first. That gives you a simple cue when you return to it later. You can edit or remove the entry if the situation changes.
The date is there to support a better question: “You mentioned this in August. Is it still something you'd like help with?”
Review for recognition, not automatic matching
A private review can surface useful connections that memory alone misses. Before a community event, or during a periodic check of your network, scan the requests people have shared and notice anything that might now be relevant.
Kinnetly's Contacts' ideal referrals view shows the most recent entry for each contact, ordered by date. It works as a memory aid across your network. It doesn't score people, recommend matches or decide that two people should meet.
That leaves the judgement where it belongs: with you and the people involved.
When you notice a possible fit, check:
- Is the request still current?
- Is the other person genuinely relevant?
- Would the contact welcome this introduction now?
- Is the other person open to it too?
A request from six months ago may still be useful. It may also be finished, changed or more sensitive than it first appeared. Ask before you act.
Treat a possible path as context, not permission
A relationship path can remind you who connects two people already on your map. It cannot tell you how close that relationship is, whether the connector endorses the request or whether anyone wants an introduction.
The same is true of an ideal-referral entry. It records what one person said they were looking for. It is not a recommendation, consent record or promise that you will make the connection.
Use a double opt-in approach instead. Ask each person privately before sharing contact details or starting a group email. Give either person room to decline without having to explain. Practical guidance on warm introductions from CommunityNet and Village makes the same distinction between seeing a possible connection and making a welcome introduction.
If you need a fuller process, read A double opt-in introduction starts with permission, not a path.
Create a reminder only when you take on a real task
An ideal-referral entry doesn't need to become a recurring follow-up. Most entries are context, not commitments.
Create a one-off reminder when you agree to do something specific, such as “Ask Morgan whether they are open to meeting Dani on Thursday.” Once you've done it, log a brief activity and close the reminder.
If the original request is no longer relevant, update or remove it. An accurate current note is more useful than a growing inventory of old possibilities.
Keep ideal referrals useful and human
The test is simple: would the contact recognise the note as a fair account of what they chose to tell you?
If yes, you've kept enough context to notice an opportunity later. You still pause, check that the request is current and ask both people before connecting them.
Kinnetly gives you a private place to keep that dated referral context alongside the relationships already on your map. Start a private relationship map in Kinnetly when you're ready.