Seeing a new DNA match appear in your results list can be exciting. That excitement is only magnified when the match is a relatively close one on a family on which you are stuck. Start slow and don’t overwhelm the individual with details. Why? 1)They may be new to genealogy research completely. 2)They may have taken the test because they got it as a gift. 3) They may have taken the test just to find out their heritage percentage. What countries or areas their ancesors may have come descend or emigrated. 4) They may have taken the test to find out information about their biological parents. 5)They may have discovered in their test results things about their parents or grandparents they didn’t know and may be overwhelmed by emotion and not just the confusing results.
Start slow. Here’s one idea:
Hello. I am the administrator for this account (whether it is yours or another one that you monitor) I noticed that we are a close match–1st to 2nd cousin. Based on the percentage shared matches, I’m guessing that there is a connection to this person, who was born in this area around this time. If you are interested, I’d be happy to discuss the relationship further.
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