For colder lists, one rule: if you know them, connect personally. If you don't, send your saved template without overthinking it.
The idea
For the outer rings of your network (leads, cold contacts, your C's, people the data says might need you soon), Connect or Click removes the decision. Either you know this person or you don't, and each answer has a default move.
How to do it
Prep once. Save about five templates for staying on their radar and five for personal connection. Edit them until they sound like you.
Open the list. Take the first two people who show up. Don't let your brain argue with the list.
Know them? Connect. Call, text or email human to human, about anything but business.
Don't know them? Click. Send your go-to saved template without analyzing it.
Breathe. Seriously. Most people hold their breath while they do this.
Example
In my coaching this was a weekly exercise on members' "likely to sell" lists, the people the data said might need an agent soon. The trap we kept calling out was using the data as a reason not to send anything ("Have you ever used data as a reason not to do something?"). Two names, connect or click, done. The mantra underneath: if you know what to say, say something; if you don't, say anything.
Watch out for
Clicking on people you actually know. Templates are for the fringe. Your A's get your own words.
Sources
From Zvi's coaching program
Relatable: Saved templates in Relatable make "click" a single click. Text shortcuts on your phone get you close. How-to: Save and reuse email templates.
Related frameworks
Templatize Your Actions: Template the repetitive parts of your outreach and personalize at send time, so "what do I say?" becomes "which one do I send?"
Something Is Better Than Nothing: Any touch they can attribute to you beats silence. If you don't know what to say, say anything.
A/B/C Spheres: Sort everyone into three tiers by gut feeling (love, like, don't know) and spend more time on A's than B's, and more on B's than C's.
Filter and Sort: Filter to one tier, sort by last contacted with the oldest first, and reach out to the names at the top without cherry-picking.