I am new to the LIONS' Lair and looking to extend my list of contacts, I think this is a great idea and love the idea of having a big network.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmcintosh1Something I include in my introduction emails is this little line which works well for me:-
'Our value is in who we know within the industry sectors that we specialise in.'
I also like to include or mention something about how I am keen to get a better technical understanding of certain industries.
I hope this helps, give it a go.