The networking script book.
Last updated 2026-07-01
The hardest part of networking outreach is usually the first line, not the ask itself — staring at a blank message to someone you haven't spoken to in three years, unsure how to open without it feeling stiff or overly familiar. Having a small set of real, adaptable scripts removes that friction: an opener that's specific to your actual shared history with that person, a clear and low-pressure reason for reaching out, and a close that makes it easy for them to respond in thirty seconds if they're busy.
The right script also depends on the relationship's warmth. A close former colleague can get a short, casual, direct message. Someone you met once at a conference needs a warmer reintroduction before any ask. A cold connection — someone you don't know at all but want to reach — needs the most context and the lowest-pressure ask of the three, since you haven't yet earned the benefit of the doubt a warmer relationship gives you.
What the full guide covers
- Scripts calibrated to relationship warmth: hot, warm, and cold outreach
- How to open a message to someone you haven't spoken to in years
- Making the ask easy to say yes to in under a minute of their time
- Following up once, without it reading as pressure
- Adapting a script so it doesn't read as copy-pasted
Unlock the full guide
Enter your email and we'll send you the complete “The networking script book.” guide now.
We'll also send occasional NextChapter updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
What should I say to someone I haven't talked to in years?
Open with something specific and genuine — a real memory of working together, or a reason you thought of them specifically — before getting to why you're reaching out. A generic "hope you're well" opener is the one part of a script most worth personalizing.
Is it okay to reach out to someone I don't know well at all?
Yes, with the right framing — more context about who you are and why you're reaching out, and a lower-pressure ask than you'd make of a close contact, since you haven't yet built the relationship that makes a bigger ask comfortable.