Turning Your Network Into Leads

“Your Network is your Net-Worth.” I mean what’s the point of building connections if you’re not going to use them? When we decided to expand K&J in NZ, I went back to the strategy I used when I first started business… I contacted almost every contact I had. Here’s exactly how I did it, step by step, so you can do the same. Step 1: I Exported My Contacts First, I exported all my contacts from Gmail. Whether you use Gmail, Outlook, or another platform, this is the easiest way to get a clear picture of who’s in your network. It’s like taking inventory of your relationships.   Step 2: I Sorted My Contacts into Three Groups   I sorted my contacts into three categories using Google Sheets (Excel works too): Cold: People I hadn’t spoken to in a few months. Warm: Those I’d connected with in the last month or so. Gold: My inner circle—people I talk to regularly. I started with my gold contacts because they’re the ones most likely to help me out. These are the people who already know, like, and trust me, so they’re the low-hanging fruit. Step 3: I Drafted My Outreach Email I didn’t want to spend hours writing emails, so I used ChatGPT to draft a casual, friendly message. My prompt was something like:   “Write a conversational email wishing someone a happy new year and asking for referrals to people in their network who might need digital marketing services.”