> 📥 The full mini-guide is available as a PDF. Download it at the top of the page.
You have 1,500 LinkedIn connections but only talk to 30 of them. The rest are forgotten. It's not because you're a bad networker. It's because no one can keep track of 1,500 people in their head. It's impossible.
But you can solve this with Copilot. The one already in your Microsoft 365. Free (if your workplace has the license). In 10 minutes you'll get an analysis: industries, companies, roles, most active conversations, forgotten connections — and concrete suggestions for who you should grab a coffee with.
Step by step. No detours.
> 📥 The full mini-guide is available as a PDF (Danish). Download it at the top of the page.
You have 1,500 LinkedIn contacts but talk to 30 of them. The rest are forgotten. It's not because you're a bad networker. It's because no one can keep track of 1,500 people in their head. It's impossible.
But you can fix it with Copilot. The one already sitting in your Microsoft 365. Free (if your workplace has the license). In 10 minutes you get an analysis: industries, companies, roles, most active conversations, forgotten connections — and concrete suggestions for who you should grab a coffee with.
Step by step. No detours.
What you need
- A work or school account with Microsoft 365 Copilot (included in many enterprise licenses)
- An active LinkedIn account
- 10 minutes for setup + waiting time on LinkedIn data (10 min to 24 hours)
1. Download your LinkedIn data
First, ask LinkedIn for a copy of your data. It's free and typically takes 10 minutes (max 24 hours for the full archive).
Here's how:
- Go to linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/categories/privacy
- Click "Get a copy of your data"
- Select "Download larger data archive" (all data, including messages and invitations)
- Click "Request archive"
- Wait for an email from LinkedIn with a download link (up to 24 hours)
- Download the ZIP and extract it
- Find the three files you need: Connections.csv, messages.csv, Invitations.csv (filenames may vary slightly depending on export — identify them by content if they're named something else)
> TIP — why exactly these three files? We use Connections (who you know), Messages (who you've talked to), and Invitations (who wants to know you). That triangulation is what makes the analysis useful — more files dilute it, fewer don't give enough signal. Three is the right number.
2. Open Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
Copilot works in the browser — no install needed.
Here's how:
- Go to m365.cloud.microsoft/chat (or open the Copilot app inside Microsoft 365)
- Sign in with your work or school account (not personal Outlook)
- Confirm you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license attached to your account — without it you can't upload files
- Select GPT-5.5 Think Deeper (a.k.a. "Thinking") in the model dropdown at the top
> TIP: Pick GPT-5.5 Think Deeper — not "Quick response". The Thinking model takes a bit longer (typically 1–2 minutes) but finds patterns the fast models miss. That's the difference between "list of contacts" and "analysis you can act on".
> DON'T HAVE COPILOT? Ask your IT department — many companies have the license but employees don't know. If you're self-employed: Copilot Pro is around $20/mo. Alternatively use Claude — see the other guide.
3. Upload the three files and give Copilot the task
Now point Copilot at your LinkedIn data and ask the right question.
Here's how:
- Click the attach icon (paperclip) in the text field
- Upload the three files: Connections.csv, messages.csv, Invitations.csv
- Type your prompt (see prompts below)
- Hit send and wait 1–2 minutes — the Thinking model takes its time
- Ask Copilot to produce an Excel file or Word doc with the result if you want to save it
> TIP: Your data is not used to train Microsoft's models when you use Copilot via an M365 account. That's the whole point of choosing Copilot over free ChatGPT for this task — your network stays confidential.
What's your goal?
The most important thing is knowing what you're looking for — then Copilot can find the right people. Here are the five most common scenarios:
- Job search — Find headhunters, decision-makers, and "bridge contacts" who can help you advance
- Clients and sales — Identify potential clients, leads, and people who can recommend you
- Partnerships — Find collaborators and people with complementary skills
- Industry change — Map who in your network is already in the industry you want to enter
- Visibility — Find media, podcasts, events, and people with reach
> STRATEGY: Pick one goal at a time. Copilot is best when the task is concrete. "Find headhunters in my network" beats "analyze everything". You can always run more prompts after — your three files are still uploaded.
Prompts you can paste into Copilot
Pick the prompt that matches your goal. Adapt the text — the more context you give Copilot about your situation, the better the results.
Prompt 1: The big picture — who's in my network?
> Analyze the three attached files (Connections, Messages, Invitations). Find patterns across the files:
>
> 1. Who should I reach out to (people in Connections I haven't talked with in Messages)?
> 2. Who could I help (people who sent invitations I haven't replied to, or people who sent messages I haven't followed up on)?
> 3. Who could help me (contacts with titles like CEO, Director, Partner, Head of — in industries that match my profile)?
>
> Make an Excel workbook with three tabs: "Reignite", "Help them", "Ask for help". Each tab: Name, Company, Title, Industry, Reason, Suggested action. Sort by priority.
Prompt 2: Find people who can help your career (job search)
> Based on the three files (Connections, Messages, Invitations): I'm considering new career opportunities as [INSERT YOUR TITLE, e.g., project manager, IT director, consultant] in [INSERT INDUSTRY, e.g., finance, tech, pharma].
>
> Across the files, find:
>
> 1. All headhunters and recruiters in Connections
> 2. Decision-makers who typically hire people like me
> 3. People in the industry I want to break into
> 4. 'Bridge contacts' — people I've already messaged in Messages who could introduce me further
> 5. 'Forgotten' contacts — people in Connections I haven't spoken with in 12+ months but who are strategically relevant
>
> Make a prioritized list in Excel with name, company, title, last contact (if in Messages), and a personal LinkedIn message for each. Keep messages short, direct, and informal. No "I hope it's okay".
Prompt 3: Find potential clients you already have a relationship with
> Based on the three files: I'm a [INSERT ROLE, e.g., freelance consultant, coach, advisor] helping companies with [INSERT SERVICE, e.g., change management, AI adoption, leadership development].
>
> Across the files, find:
>
> - People in Connections with titles that suggest they can buy my service
> - People in industries where my service is relevant
> - Contacts I've already messaged in Messages (warm leads)
> - People from Invitations who showed interest (they reached out to me)
>
> Rank the top 30 with reasoning, and mark which are 'cold' vs 'warm' (have we talked in Messages?). Write a personal message for the top 10 — tone: informal, concrete, value-focused. No elevator pitch.
Prompt 4: Find collaborators and complementary profiles
> Look at the three files. I work as [INSERT ROLE] and I'm looking for collaborators that complement my skills. I'm strong on [INSERT STRENGTHS] and looking for people strong on [INSERT WHAT YOU LACK].
>
> Find contacts who:
>
> - Have complementary skills
> - Work with similar audiences but non-competing services
> - Are freelancers, consultants, or small agency owners
> - Have titles that suggest openness to collaboration
> - Have already shown interest in me (Invitations or Messages)
>
> List the 20 best matches and explain why. Mark those I've already talked with in Messages.
Prompt 5: Network analysis — strengths and gaps
> Analyze the three files as a whole. Make a complete report on my network:
>
> - Which industries am I strongest in (Connections)?
> - Which companies do I have most contacts in?
> - Where are my 'gaps' — industries or company types where I should have more contacts?
> - Who are my 'super-connectors' (people with titles like Partner, Director, CEO)?
> - Who do I have the most active conversations with in Messages (top 20)?
> - Which invitations have I not replied to — and should I?
> - How big is the 'gap' between Connections and Messages? In other words: how many of my contacts have I never actually talked with?
>
> Make concrete recommendations: who should I contact first, and where is the lowest-hanging fruit?
Prompt 6: Top-20 with week-by-week outreach plan
> Use the three files. My goal is: [INSERT YOUR GOAL, e.g., find a new job as project manager, land 5 new clients, find a partner for my project].
>
> Find the 20 contacts most likely to help me with that goal. Weight by:
>
> - Relevance to my goal (title, industry)
> - Seniority and decision-making power
> - Existing relationship (have we messaged in Messages? when last?)
>
> Rank them 1–20 with reasoning. Make a 'week plan' so I contact 5 per week over 4 weeks. Write a personal message for each — adapted to whether we've messaged before or not.
Prompt 7: Message templates for 5 situations
> Write 5 different LinkedIn messages. Context: [DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 1–2 SENTENCES].
>
> Make a message for each situation:
>
> 1. To an old colleague I haven't talked to in years (find them in Connections but NOT in Messages)
> 2. To someone at a company I want to break into
> 3. To a leader who can hire me or buy my service
> 4. To someone I'd like to grab a coffee with
> 5. To someone who can introduce me to a person I want to meet
>
> Keep them under 300 characters. Tone: professional but informal, direct, confident without being arrogant.
Tips to get the most out of it
STRATEGY: Adapt the prompt to YOU. Every prompt has [INSERT] fields. The more concrete you are about your situation, the better Copilot's analysis. "I'm an IT project manager with 15 years in finance" beats just "project manager".
STRATEGY: Start with Prompt 1. Big picture first. You find out what your network actually contains before chasing specific profiles. Then it's much easier to pick the right follow-up prompt.
STRATEGY: 5 messages per week. Make it a habit. Every Monday morning you send 5 LinkedIn messages to contacts from your priority list. In 4 weeks you've contacted 20 key people. Enough to build momentum.
STRATEGY: Use the Messages file as a "trust score". People you've already messaged are 10x more likely to reply. Always ask Copilot to sort contacts by "have we messaged before" — warm leads beat cold leads every time.
TIP: Use GPT-5.5 Think Deeper, not Quick response. Always check the model dropdown before sending. Quick response gives you a list. Think Deeper gives you a plan. Worth waiting the extra minute.
TIP: Ask for Excel output. Add "Produce the result as an Excel file with columns X, Y, Z" to every prompt. You get something you can sort, filter, and work with — not just a text report.
TIP: Repeat with new angles. Once you've contacted the first 20, run new prompts with new goals. Looking for a job first? Then look for collaborators. Your three files are still uploaded — keep going.
TIP: Copilot vs. ChatGPT vs. Claude. If you have Copilot via work — start here. If not, ChatGPT (Plus required for larger files) and Claude Cowork work just as well. Pick the AI you already have access to.
What can you expect?
Copilot typically delivers:
- An Excel sheet with your contacts categorized, prioritized, and sorted
- Message drafts you can adapt and send directly on LinkedIn
- An outreach plan with week-by-week structure
- A network report with insights on strengths, gaps, and forgotten connections
You don't open the CSV files or rummage through them. Copilot reads every row across the three files, finds patterns, and does the heavy lifting. You focus on what matters: sending the right messages to the right people.
Quick reference: Links
| What | Link |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | m365.cloud.microsoft/chat |
| LinkedIn data export | linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/categories/privacy |
| Copilot license info | microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot |
| The other guide (Claude Cowork) | aitrainer.dk → "Activate your network with Claude" |
📥 Download the full mini-guide as a PDF (Danish) at the top of the page.
🎓 Want hands-on training? Book our Copilot Workshop or Copilot Agent Workshop.
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Stefano Vincenti · AI Advisor & Trainer · aitrainer.dk · External Lecturer, IT University of Copenhagen · Cofounder & CTO BotTellMe · Partner, TryZone