# Member introduction software that asks both people first

> Member introduction software connects two people in a community when one needs help the other can give. Basic tools only list members; fuller ones take the request, choose who to ask, check both people agree and record the outcome. Milvao does this on WhatsApp: a member asks privately, Milvao asks one suitable member at a time, and contacts are exchanged only after both say yes.

Source: https://milvao.com/member-introductions-software · Updated 2026-11-05

## Key takeaways

- An introduction has five parts: the need, the right person, their willingness, the contact exchange and a record of what happened.
- Milvao uses double opt-in: the person asking allows their number to be shared for that request, and the person asked accepts before anything is sent.
- Ranking is plain arithmetic on service, city, responsiveness, track record and fairness, with the reasons shown for every suggestion.
- Operators can let Milvao ask automatically or approve each match, and anything unclear comes back to the team.

## What member introduction software does

In most communities, introductions run on one person's memory. Someone asks the organiser, or the group, for a recommendation. The organiser thinks of a name, checks the person is willing, forwards a contact and hopes it worked. Software can take over each of those parts, but tools differ in how many they actually handle.

The parts of an introduction, and who does each

| Part | Organiser by hand | Directory with messaging | Milvao |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Capture the need | A message to the organiser or a group post | The member searches on their own | A private message to the community's number, turned into a brief the member confirms |
| Find the right person | Whoever the organiser remembers | Search filters and browsing | Eligibility rules, then a ranking with reasons |
| Check they are willing | A separate message from the organiser | Not built in; the member writes cold | An offer with Accept and Decline, and 48 hours to answer |
| Exchange contacts | Forwarded by hand | Direct messages inside the platform | Both names and numbers sent privately after two yeses |
| Record what happened | Rarely | Message history | A timeline per request, offer states and a Metrics page |

## Double opt-in introductions, step by step

1. The member writes what they need in their own words, in English or Hinglish. Phone numbers, emails and links are removed before the text reaches the AI that drafts a short brief.
2. The member confirms, edits or cancels the brief. Nobody else sees anything before this.
3. A separate question asks whether their number may be shared for this request only, if someone agrees to help.
4. The member asked receives the brief, never the requester's name, number or exact words, and taps Accept or Decline.
5. On Accept, Milvao checks both permissions again, then sends each person the other's name and WhatsApp number privately.

A delivered contact can't be recalled, so the second check happens right before each message leaves. If one side's message fails, the team can retry that side alone without resending the other. Members can reply PAUSE or STOP at any time, which cancels offers waiting for them. More on [who sees what](https://milvao.com/privacy-and-consent) and [contact sharing](https://milvao.com/help/requests/introductions-and-contact-sharing).

## How Milvao decides who to ask

First, Milvao narrows the community to members who can be asked: a complete profile, introduction requests turned on, not paused or stopped, offering the service, covering the city when one is needed, not the requester, not already asked about this request, and fewer than 2 offers in the last 7 days. Then it ranks them.

How suitable members are ranked

| Part | Weight | What counts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Service fit | 25% | Offers the service; members who list fewer services rank a little higher |
| City fit | 25% | Based in the city ranks above serving it |
| Accepts requests | 12% | Share of past offers accepted |
| Replies quickly | 8% | Typical time to answer |
| Introductions completed | 8% | Accepted offers where both contacts went through |
| Did you connect? | 7% | Answers from the people they were introduced to |
| Fairness | 15% | Members asked less in the last 7 days come first |
| Profile answers | Small bonus | A matching profile answer that appears in the brief |

New members are scored as a typical member until they have some history, so joining late is not a handicap. Every suggestion and offer shows its reasons, such as "Based in Mohali" or "Not asked this week". In automatic mode, the default, Milvao asks the top member and moves down the list after a decline or 48 hours without a reply. With Approve each match turned on, nobody is asked until an operator picks from up to five suggestions. See [automatic matching](https://milvao.com/features/automatic-matching).

## When an introduction goes back to a person

Software should know when to stop. Milvao hands a request to the operators, with the reason, in these cases:

- The brief is still unclear after one clarifying question.
- No member fits the service and city.
- Three members were asked and none accepted.
- The community uses Approve each match, or automation is paused for that request.
- A message with contact details could not be delivered.

Operators see these under Needs you on the [operator dashboard](https://milvao.com/operator-dashboard). They can rewrite the brief, choose a member themselves, message the member who asked, or close the request with a reason.

## Member introduction software compared with matching features

Several community platforms help members find each other, but most leave the approach to the member. The facts below come from each company's own pages, on the date shown under Sources.

How different tools connect two members

| Approach | How two people are connected | Agreement before contact details move |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Directory and direct messages (Circle) | Members browse profiles in the directory and message each other inside the platform | Not described as a separate step |
| Suggested connections (Mighty Networks People Explorer) | The platform suggests members based on who someone follows and engages with, then offers chat | Not described as a separate step |
| Event pairing (Glue Up speed networking) | Attendees are paired at random for short one-to-one video meetings | Pairing happens inside the event |
| Request-based introductions (Milvao) | A specific need is offered to one suitable member at a time | Both people agree before names and numbers are exchanged |

Those platforms also do much that Milvao does not, such as events, courses and discussions, and they ask members to use their own app. Milvao works where members already talk. The [roundup of WhatsApp community tools](https://milvao.com/best-whatsapp-community-tools) sets out who each kind suits.

## Limits of Milvao's introductions

- One member is asked at a time, at most three per request, and each has 48 hours to answer.
- A member receives at most 2 offers in any 7 days, so a popular member is not flooded.
- Requests are text only; voice notes and photos are not read. Milvao's replies are in English.
- A member asked gets one reminder about 12 hours before the offer closes, and three days after an introduction each person may be asked once whether they connected.
- A member can cancel a request after confirming it, until someone agrees to help. Matching can't yet be limited to one group or chapter; that is planned.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a double opt-in introduction?

Both people agree before any contact details move. In Milvao, the member asking allows their number to be shared for that one request, and the member asked accepts that specific request. Only then does each receive the other's name and number.

### Does the member being asked know who is asking?

Not until they accept. The offer shows the confirmed brief: the service, city, details and a one-line summary. It never includes the requester's name, number or original message.

### Can an organiser choose who gets introduced?

Yes. In either mode an operator can pick a member from the ranked suggestions when no offer is waiting for a reply. With the Approve each match setting, nobody is asked until an operator has chosen.

### Is Milvao a matchmaking app for events?

No. Milvao doesn't run events or pair attendees. It handles specific requests between members of a community that talks on WhatsApp, one introduction at a time.

## Sources

- [Mighty Networks Help: What is the People Explorer](https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/marketing-features/what-is-the-people-explorer) (checked 2026-11-05)
- [Glue Up: Speed networking software](https://www.glueup.com/features/speed-networking-software) (checked 2026-11-05)
- [Circle: Pricing (member profiles and directory)](https://circle.so/pricing) (checked 2026-11-05)

## Related pages

- [Automatic member matching](https://milvao.com/features/automatic-matching)
- [Introduction message generator](https://milvao.com/tools/introduction-message-generator)
- [Referral network software](https://milvao.com/referral-network-software)
- [How Milvao works](https://milvao.com/how-it-works)