Inbox leads

Why this works

Old contacts are not cold leads. You're re-connecting with people who already know you, trust you, and have context for who you are. This starting point of trust means they're far more likely to open your email, hear you out, and give you honest feedback, if not their credit card number. It bypasses the noise and skepticism of pure cold outreach.

This method forces you to be specific and personal. You can't mass-email your way through this. You have to recall your last conversation, reference a shared experience, and tailor your message. This high-touch, 1-to-1 approach has a much higher conversion rate than any scaled-up marketing campaign, which is exactly what you need in the early days to get your first trickle of revenue and feedback.

Three real examples

Don't forget to search your social media DMs (LinkedIn, Twitter) as well- they are just as valuable as your email inbox.

The step-by-step playbook

1. 1

   Step 1: Define your Ideal Customer

   Who are you trying to sell to? Be specific. 'Early-stage SaaS founders' is better than 'businesses'. 'Product Managers at series B companies' is better than 'tech workers'. This focus will guide your search.

2. 2

   Step 2: Brainstorm search keywords

   Think like an archeologist. What words would be in emails to or from your ideal customers? Think about job titles ('designer', 'founder'), old projects, conference names, or phrases like 'intro request' or 'question about'.

3. 3

   Step 3: Search your inbox

   Go to Gmail or your email client and start searching. Use your keywords. Don't just look at the 'From' field- look for people who were CC'd or mentioned in threads. Search your 'Sent' folder too.

4. 4

   Step 4: Build a simple prospect list

   Don't overcomplicate it. Open a spreadsheet (or use a tool like Tally.so) with three columns: Name, Email, and Context (e.g., 'Met at SaaS conference 2022', 'Old colleague from Acme Inc.'). Aim for 50-100 names to start.

5. 5

   Step 5: Prioritize your list

   Go through your list and rank them from 'most likely to be a perfect fit' to 'less likely'. Who are the 10-20 people you'd be most excited to talk to? Start with them. This is your 'A-List'.

6. 6

   Step 6: Send your outreach email

   Use the script below as a starting point, but personalize every single email. Reference the context you wrote down. Your goal is not to make a sale, but to start a conversation. Keep your ask small and easy.

7. 7

   Step 7: Track everything

   Add two more columns to your spreadsheet: 'Sent On' and 'Replied?'. Update this diligently. This prevents you from forgetting who you've contacted and when. Forgetting and emailing the same person twice looks sloppy.

8. 8

   Step 8: Follow up once

   If you don't hear back in 3-5 business days, send a single, polite follow-up. Just reply to your original message and say, 'Hey, just bumping this to the top of your inbox. Let me know if you have any thoughts!' That's it. No more.

The Ask: Your copy-paste email template

Use this template as a starting point. The key is to customize it heavily with your 'Context' note for each person. Keep it short, personal, and make the ask low-effort.

Subject: Quick question / Catching up

Hi {FirstName},

Hope you're doing well. It's been a while! We {context of how you know them, e.g., 'worked together at Acme Inc', 'met at that marketing conference last year'}.

I'm writing because I'm building a new product that helps {target customer} with {the problem you solve}. Given your experience with {their area of expertise}, I immediately thought of you.

Would you be open to taking a look at a 1-minute demo video and letting me know if it's remotely interesting? No pressure at all, but I'd really value your honest feedback.

Best,

{YourName}

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

• Does this person fit my ideal customer profile today?
• What was our last interaction? Was it positive?
• Can I state clearly and concisely how I know them?
• What is the single smallest, easiest 'ask' I can make?
• Is my product at a stage where I can proudly show it to them?

The most important questions are about context and the 'ask'. A clear context makes them feel remembered, not spammed. A small ask ('watch a 1-min video') is much easier to say yes to than a big ask ('book a 30-min demo').

Recommended tools

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Mistakes that kill this play

• ×Sending a generic, non-personalized email. This is not a numbers game; it's a relationship game.
• ×Forgetting to mention how you know them. This is the most critical piece of information.
• ×Making the 'ask' too big. Don't ask for a 30-minute meeting. Ask for a glance at a screenshot or a 1-minute video.
• ×Not having a simple system to track who you've emailed. You will forget, and it will get messy.
• ×Being afraid to bother people. You're not a stranger selling junk- you're a known contact sharing your life's work. People are generally happy to help.
• ×Giving up after one attempt. A single, polite follow-up is professional and often gets a response.
• ×Writing long paragraphs about your product. Keep it to one or two sentences. Focus on them, not you.

Your First 7 Days

• Day 1: Finalize your Ideal Customer Profile. Brainstorm 20+ keywords for your inbox search.
• Day 2: Spend 90 minutes searching your inbox. Build your raw prospect list of at least 50 people.
• Day 3: Prioritize your list. Identify your top 10 'A-List' contacts who are the best fit.
• Day 4: Write and send personalized emails to your 10 A-List contacts. Record the sends in your tracker.
• Day 5: Process replies. For the rest of your prospect list, rank and identify the next 20 people to contact.
• Day 6: Send a follow-up email to anyone from Day 4 who hasn't replied.
• Day 7: Write and send emails to your next batch of 20 contacts. Analyze replies from the first batch- what's working?

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