Yuval Passov, Global Founder Advocate, LinkedIn Top Voice, and keynote speaker on AI and leadership, shared a sharp and practical insight: the quality of your ask determines whether you get a yes. Drawing from years of experience on both sides of the networking equation, he breaks down what actually works when you want an introduction, a meeting, or someone's time.
What Makes Busy People Say Yes
Most asks fail because they are too vague. "I have an interesting startup, would love to connect" is not an ask, it is an invitation to a guided tour. Passov's approach is different: lead with a specific request, explain clearly why this particular person is the right one to help, and include one sentence about what you are building.
Specificity is not just a courtesy, it is a form of respect for someone else's time. A busy person should not need to guess exactly what you want from them. The clearer the request, the easier it is to respond to it quickly.
Reduce Friction, Increase Response Rates
One of the most common mistakes when asking for an introduction is putting the effort of writing the recommendation on the person you are asking. Passov recommends the opposite: prepare a forwardable blurb in advance, ready to send without requiring the other person to craft it from scratch.
The easier you make it for someone to act, the more likely they are to follow through. Someone who wants a door opened for them should arrive with the key ready, not ask someone else to search for it.
Why a Thank-You Note Still Matters
After receiving help, many founders move on without acknowledging it. Passov points out that a simple thank-you after the fact is what separates people who continue to receive opportunities from those who disappear from people's radar. This is not about etiquette. It is about building relationships that hold over time.
Two people approaching the same network can get completely different results because of this single detail. Professional networks are built on trust and memory, and a timely thank-you is the lowest-cost investment with the highest return.
Short Beats Long, Every Time
Passov closes with a point that sounds obvious but is consistently ignored: long messages do not work. In an age where attention is the scarcest resource, a short, focused, and clear message is not a compromise. It is the strategy.
The question he suggests asking before hitting send is simple: can a busy person understand my request in thirty seconds? If the answer is no, the message needs to get shorter.