How to Find Mutual Connections with Any Prospect - Draftboard Blog

The Power of "We Both Know..."

Mentioning a mutual connection in your outreach can 5x your response rates. But finding those connections - especially at scale - isn't easy. Here's how to do it.

Why Mutual Connections Matter

• Social proof: "Someone I trust knows this person"
• Reciprocity: "They took time to find our connection"
• In-group bias: "We're part of the same network"

The results: Emails mentioning mutual connections see response rates of 15-25%, compared to under 1% for pure cold emails.

Method 1: LinkedIn Manual Search

Step by step:

1. Go to the prospect's LinkedIn profile
2. Look for "X mutual connections" link
3. Click to see the list
4. Review each mutual connection
5. Assess which is the strongest relationship

• Did you actually work with this person?

• How recently did you interact?

• Would they recognize your name?

• Would the prospect value their opinion?

• Free

• Accurate (you know your own relationships)

• Time-consuming (3-5 min per prospect)

• Only shows your connections, not your team's

• No relationship strength data

• Doesn't scale

Method 2: LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Step by step:

1. Search for your prospect in Sales Navigator
2. Look at "Mutual Connections" section
3. For TeamLink (if available), see team connections

• Your 1st degree connections to the prospect

• TeamLink shows teammates' 1st degree connections

• Integrated into prospecting workflow

• Shows some team connections

• TeamLink only shows 1st degree (no 2nd degree paths)

• No relationship strength scoring

• Limited context on how you know them

• Expensive if you don't already have it

Method 3: Check Employment History

Sometimes you don't share a direct connection, but you share history.

Step by step:

1. Look at the prospect's work history
2. Cross-reference with your own background
3. Look for overlapping companies, even at different times
4. Check your teammates' backgrounds too

Example: You both worked at Google, but at different times. You might have mutual connections from there.

• Can find connections LinkedIn doesn't show

• Works even without direct connection

• Very manual

• Easy to miss connections

• Doesn't scale at all

Method 4: Ask Your Network

Sometimes the fastest way is just to ask.

Step by step:

1. Post in your company Slack: "Anyone know someone at [Company]?"
2. Check with teammates who might have relevant background
3. Ask advisors and investors

• Surfaces connections you'd never find otherwise

• Works for hidden relationships (not on LinkedIn)

• Slow

• Annoying to do for every prospect

• Doesn't scale

Method 5: Network Mapping Tools

Tools like Draftboard automate this entire process.

Step by step:

1. Connect your team's LinkedIn profiles
2. Import your target prospect list
3. Instantly see all paths - 1st and 2nd degree
4. View relationship scores for each path

• Connections across your entire team, not just you

• 2nd degree paths (your connection knows the prospect)

• Relationship strength scores based on:

  • How long they worked together
  • How recently they connected
  • Whether they worked together at multiple companies
  • Their relative roles

• Scales to thousands of prospects

• Shows paths you'd never find manually

• Scores relationship strength

• Includes 2nd degree connections

• Requires a tool

• Only as good as the profiles connected

Understanding 1st vs. 2nd Degree Paths

1st degree path: You (or your teammate) directly know the prospect.

How to use: > "I noticed we're both connected on LinkedIn - I think we met at [event]. Given what you're building, I thought we should reconnect."

2nd degree path: You know someone who knows the prospect.

How to use: > "I work with [Connector Name] - they mentioned you're doing interesting things at [Company]. Wanted to reach out directly."

Or, if appropriate, ask your 1st degree connection for an actual introduction.

Choosing the Best Connection to Mention

Not all connections are equal. Prioritize based on:

• How well do they actually know each other?

• Would the prospect recognize your connection's name?

• Is your connection respected in the prospect's field?

• Does the connection make sense in context?

• Can you actually reference this person?

• Would they vouch for you if asked?

Rule of thumb: A moderately strong connection you can genuinely reference beats a strong connection you have to stretch to explain.

What to Do When You Don't Have a Connection

• Check more teammates

• Ask advisors and investors

• Look at customer relationships

• Someone at the same company but different team

• Someone in the same industry

• Someone from the same school/program

• Engage with their content before reaching out

• Find them at an event

• Get introduced through a customer

Option 4: Accept the cold email If there's truly no connection, write a good cold email. But use this as motivation to build your network.

Templates for Different Connection Types

Direct mutual connection (strong): > "I noticed we're both connected to [Name] - we actually worked together at [Company]. Given what you're doing with [initiative], I thought we should connect."

Direct mutual connection (weak): > "I see we're both in [Name]'s network. I've been following what [Company] is doing in [space] and wanted to reach out."

2nd degree through strong connector: > "I work with [Connector] - they've mentioned you a few times as someone doing great work in [space]. Wanted to reach out directly."

Shared company history: > "I saw you were at [Company] - [Teammate] on my team was on the [team] there around the same time. We've been working with a few [Company] alums on [problem]."

Conclusion

Finding mutual connections is the highest-leverage activity for improving cold outreach. Do it manually for high-priority prospects; use tools like Draftboard to do it at scale for your full pipeline.