Looking for a way to cut through the cold email noise and actually get in front of people who matter? Tired of LinkedIn fishing expeditions that never go anywhere? If you work in sales, VC, or business development, you know warm intros beat cold outreach every time. This guide is for anyone who wants to use their real network—not just a list of contacts—to open doors for new business. Here’s how to use Affinity to spot those connections, find the right people, and avoid wasting time.
Why Warm Introductions Matter (And Where Most Tools Fall Short)
Let’s get real. A “warm intro” isn’t magic. It’s just someone you both know vouching for you. The problem? Most CRMs and spreadsheets don’t show you who can make that intro, or how strong that connection actually is.
Affinity’s pitch is that it maps out your team’s real relationship network by analyzing email and calendar data. In theory, it helps you spot the shortest path to a decision-maker—without relying on guesswork or awkward asks. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step up from sifting through outdated LinkedIn connections.
Step 1: Connect Your Email & Calendar (Don’t Skip This)
Affinity works by scanning your team’s email and calendar metadata (not the content—just who talked to whom, and how often). If you skip this, you’re flying blind. Here’s what to do:
- Connect your work email and calendar—Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are supported. You’ll need admin approval if you’re on a company domain.
- Encourage your team to connect, too—The more people on your team who connect, the richer your network map gets.
- Check your privacy settings—Affinity doesn’t read the body of your emails, but if you’re skittish, review what data is being shared.
Pro tip: If your team’s hesitant, remind them that only metadata is tracked. No one’s reading their emails.
Step 2: Import (Or Sync) Your Contacts
Don’t just rely on email scraping. For best results:
- Import your existing contact lists. Affinity can sync from Google Contacts, Outlook, or CSV files.
- Make sure company names and emails are clean—otherwise, you’ll end up with duplicates or mismatched records.
- If you’re coming from another CRM, use Affinity’s import tools to pull over deal histories and notes.
What to skip: Don’t waste time manually tagging every contact at this stage. Affinity auto-tags a lot, and you can clean up later.
Step 3: Search for Your Target—Person or Company
Let’s say you want an intro to Jane Smith at Acme Corp. Here’s how to see if you’re already connected:
- Use the search bar at the top to find Jane or Acme Corp.
- Open the contact or organization page. Here’s where Affinity starts to show its value.
- Look for the “Relationship Strength” indicator—a simple bar or score showing how connected your team is to this person or company.
Honest take: The relationship score is based on email frequency and recency. It’s not perfect—sometimes someone who’s just on a few group emails looks “close,” when really, they’re not. Always sanity-check.
Step 4: Map the Shortest Path—Who on Your Team Knows Them?
On the company or contact page, Affinity shows you:
- Who on your team has emailed/called/met with them
- How often and how recently those interactions happened
- The specific email threads (subject lines only)
Here’s what actually works:
- Reach out directly to the teammate with the strongest connection (recent, frequent contact—not just a one-off meeting three years ago).
- Ask for context, not just an intro. “How well do you know Jane?” goes further than “Can you intro me?”
What to ignore: Don’t waste time chasing someone with a “weak” connection (one email, ages ago). The intro will feel forced and likely won’t land.
Step 5: Request (and Track) the Warm Intro
Affinity lets you:
- Ping your teammate right from the platform (or just email/Slack them if that’s easier).
- Log the intro request so you don’t lose track or double up.
- Set reminders to follow up—or to nudge if the intro stalls out.
Pro tip: Don’t spam your team. Be specific about why you want the intro, and make it easy for them (offer to draft the message).
Step 6: Keep Notes and Update Status
Once the intro’s made, Affinity makes it easy to:
- Add notes to the contact record—keep track of what was discussed, next steps, and outcomes.
- Update deal or opportunity status if you’re using Affinity as your main CRM.
- Share updates with your team for transparency (but keep sensitive info private if needed).
What to skip: Don’t get bogged down in over-documenting. A couple of bullet points per contact is usually enough.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
Works: - Quickly finding teammates with real, recent connections—not just “connections” in name only - Saving time compared to hunting through old emails or pinging your entire team - Avoiding awkward cold emails that go nowhere
Doesn’t Work: - Assuming Affinity’s relationship score is gospel—it’s a guide, not the full story - Relying on stale connections (if no one’s talked to them in 18 months, it’s basically cold) - Trying to automate every step—warm intros still need a human touch
Ignore: - Any “AI-powered” intro suggestions that don’t pass the common sense test. Use your judgment. - Over-complicating your workflow. The real value is in seeing your network and acting fast.
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of Affinity
- Regularly sync and clean your contacts to avoid duplicates and dead ends.
- Encourage team-wide adoption—the more people connected, the better your network map.
- Respect privacy and burnout—don’t make your team the “intro factory.”
- Review outcomes—see which intros actually move deals forward, and learn from what works.
Keep It Simple—Iterate and Improve
Affinity can cut a ton of friction out of finding warm intros, but it’s not a silver bullet. Don’t obsess over perfect data or try to automate your way out of building real relationships. Start by connecting your accounts, try a few searches, and see what shakes out. Iterate as you go. The goal is to open doors without wasting time—or annoying your team. That’s it.
Now, go find those intros—and remember, simple beats clever every time.