Template the repetitive parts of your outreach and personalize at send time, so "what do I say?" becomes "which one do I send?"
The idea
If you take an action over and over, templating it cuts the time, resources and effort it takes. Email templates are the quick win, and you already use one every day: your email signature. Imagine retyping your contact details and that tiny logo on every message. Savagery. A template removes only the part you'd write no matter who the recipient was. You still add the personal piece when you hit send, so they get what reads as a personal message, written in about a quarter of the time. And "what do I say?" turns into "which message do I send?"
How to do it
List the outreach you do over and over: check-ins, intros, thank-yous, congratulations.
Write a template for each in your own voice.
At send time, pull up your notes and past conversations and make the small customizations.
Template beyond email: saved texts, a list of book links ready to send, stamped and return-addressed envelopes with a gift card and a blank card inside, and one or two go-to coffee spots so nobody has to find a place each time.
If you do it twice, template it. If you buy the same gift twice, buy in bulk.
Example
Say your check-in template reads like a normal email you'd write and fills in their first name and the month you last talked. Your notes say their dog was sick, so you add "BTW, how's Rover doing?" To them it's a personal note.
Watch out for
Save fully canned messages, with no personal line, for lower-priority relationships.
Three Starter Templates: Write a check-in, an introduction and a thank-you once, keep them a tap away, and personalize each time you send.
Prestructured Recipes: Decide once which sequence of touchpoints fits a situation (new job, new house, finished project), then just run it each time it comes up.
Effective Hourly Rate: Divide your income by your hours worked, then delegate or template anything below that rate so your time goes to people.
Automate the Cue, Not the Relationship: Automation your contacts can detect tells them they aren't worth a personal note, so let the system queue the message and you press Send.