Strategic & Market Intelligence

Introductions and business development, on assessment

A prior study of whether an introduction between two organisations is relevant, possible and appropriate, followed, only if it is, by a carefully framed approach agreed with you.

The problem this service answers

You have identified an organisation you would like to reach and no natural route to it. What you need first is an honest answer on whether an approach makes sense at all.

An introduction has value only when it is relevant on both sides. Approaching an organisation that has no interest, no capacity or no availability for the subject costs you a first impression that cannot be repeated, and it consumes the credibility of whoever made the approach. That is why the assessment comes before anything else.

The second condition is appropriateness. Some approaches are inadvisable because of a competitive relationship, an ongoing procedure, a compliance constraint or simply bad timing. Establishing those conditions beforehand is part of the work, and concluding that an introduction should not be attempted is a legitimate and frequent outcome of this assignment.

What the assignment covers

The assignment begins as a study, not as an approach. We examine the target organisation from public material: its activity, its structure, its apparent priorities, the way it works with outside parties, and whether the subject you wish to raise falls within what it plausibly handles. We also examine your own position in relation to it.

The conclusion of that study is explicit. It states whether an introduction appears relevant, on what basis, with what reservations, and through which route it would be appropriate. When the study concludes that the approach is not advisable, or that it should be reframed or postponed, that is what the deliverable says, and the assignment can stop there.

If the study is favourable and you decide to proceed, the approach is framed with you: what is presented, in what terms, on whose behalf, and what is deliberately not said. Nothing is sent in your name without your written validation, and the response of the third party remains entirely its own.

How we work on it

  1. We clarify the objective of the contact and the subject you would raise.
  2. The target organisation is studied on public material: activity, structure, priorities.
  3. We assess relevance, apparent availability and any factor making contact inadvisable.
  4. A written conclusion states whether an approach is advisable, and on what basis.
  5. If it is, the route, the wording and the limits of the approach are agreed with you.
  6. The approach is made only after your written validation of its content.
  7. The outcome is reported factually, including when there is no response.

Where the information comes from

Sources are selected with you at the start of the assignment and reviewed as the subject evolves.

  • Public corporate material, registries and structural information.
  • Public communications, publications and stated priorities of the organisation.
  • Sector and professional publications documenting its activity.
  • Public records of its partnerships, contracts and outside collaborations.
  • Publicly available information on the functions and roles concerned.

Possible deliverables

The format is chosen with you. A single assignment can combine several of them.

  • A written assessment of the relevance and feasibility of an introduction.
  • A documented profile of the target organisation and its apparent priorities.
  • A statement of the reservations, constraints or timing issues identified.
  • A proposed approach framework, when the assessment is favourable.
  • A factual report of what was done and what response, if any, was received.

Who this service is designed for

  • Executives seeking a route to an organisation they cannot reach.
  • Companies preparing a partnership or supplier approach.
  • Founders looking for the right entry point in a large organisation.
  • Investors preparing a discussion with a target.
  • Professional bodies preparing an institutional contact.

What this service does not promise

This is an assessment assignment. We study whether an introduction is relevant and possible, and frame it when it is. We never commit a third party, we obtain no agreement on your behalf, and a favourable assessment says nothing about the outcome of any discussion.

How to start

Tell us which organisation you would like to reach, on what subject and why now. We will study whether an approach is relevant and tell you plainly if it is not.

Request a Confidential Consultation

Questions about this service

Do you promise to obtain a meeting?

No, and any provider who does should be treated with caution. We study whether an approach is relevant and possible, and we frame it carefully if it is. Whether a third party responds, accepts a meeting or takes the subject further depends entirely on that organisation and on what you propose.

What happens if the study concludes against an approach?

The assignment stops at the study, and you receive the reasoning. That outcome is common and it is useful: it may reveal that the organisation does not handle the subject, that a procedure makes contact inadvisable, that the timing is wrong or that a different entry point would be far more appropriate.

Is your role disclosed when an approach is made?

The framing is agreed with you in advance and it does not involve misrepresentation. We do not pose as something we are not, and we do not conceal on whose behalf a subject is being raised when that would mislead the recipient. Transparency on that point protects your position more than it costs.

Tell us what you need to monitor

Describe your subject, your markets and your decision timeline. We study every request individually before proposing a monitoring set-up.

Every request is reviewed confidentially. No commitment is required to discuss a scope of work.