The Warm Outreach 10-Step System
How to get your first customers by reaching out to people who already know you
Warm outreach is the cheapest, easiest, and most reliable way to find people interested in what you sell. It involves making one-to-one contact with your warm audience — people who already know you. Hormozi presents a 10-step system that takes anyone from 'I don't have any leads' to consistently generating customers.
The system starts with a crucial insight: everyone has a list. Your phone contacts, email accounts, and social media profiles contain hundreds or thousands of leads you don't realize you have. From there, the system walks through picking a platform, personalizing messages, reaching out to 100 people per day, using the ACA framework to warm conversations, inviting friends, making offers, and maintaining relationships long-term.
Hormozi emphasizes that this method works at ANY scale — from 100 contacts to 1,000,000. As businesses grow, automation and employees make it more efficient, but the fundamental system remains the same.
- Everybody knows somebody — you have more leads than you think across phone, email, and social media.
- Reach out to 100 people per day, up to three times each, until they respond.
- Pay your social dues first — don't be a weirdo and pitch immediately.
- The ACA framework (Acknowledge, Compliment, Ask) makes any conversation natural and guides toward your offer.
- People who pay with their time now are more likely to pay with their money later.
- Get Your ListPull contacts from your phone, all email accounts, and all social media profiles. Add them all up. Between these sources, most people have their first 1,000+ leads without realizing it.WarningDon't skip this thinking you have no contacts. Everyone has a list.
- Pick a PlatformChoose the platform where you have the most contacts — phone, email, social media, etc. You'll hit all platforms eventually, so just start with the biggest one.
- Personalize Your MessageUse something you know about the contact as your actual reason to reach out. Check their social media profiles to learn about them first. Don't be a weirdo — just check in and provide value.Pro tipExample: 'Saw you just had a baby! Congrats! How is the baby doing? How are you?'WarningYou haven't asked for anything yet. This step is purely about reconnecting.
- Reach Out to 100 People Per DaySend personalized messages to 100 contacts daily via call, text, email, or direct message. Contact each person up to three times (once per day for three days) or until they respond, whichever comes first.WarningOnce per week with physical mail, not once per day.
- Warm Them Up with ACAWhen they respond, use the ACA framework: Acknowledge what they said (restate it), Compliment them (tie to a positive character trait), Ask another question (steer toward your offer topic). Go through 3-4 exchanges before mentioning your offer.Pro tipPeople love talking about themselves and being complimented. Let them. If people feel good talking to you, they'll trust you more.
- Invite Their FriendsAsk if they know anyone who might be interested. Frame it around helping their friends, not selling to them. This starts the referral engine from day one.
- Make the Easiest Offer in the WorldAfter natural conversation, present your offer using the value equation elements: dream outcome, perceived likelihood, reduced time delay, and minimal effort/sacrifice. Make it so easy to say yes that they'd feel silly saying no.
- Start at the Top of Your ListBegin with the contacts most likely to be interested or most likely to know people who would be interested. Work your way through the entire list methodically.
- Start ChargingAfter providing initial free or low-cost value to build testimonials, begin charging for your services. People who got results from free work rarely mind paying, especially if you frame it well.Pro tipHormozi offered free 12-week training, then asked clients to pay after they got results. None of them minded.
- Keep Your List WarmMaintain ongoing contact with your entire list. Continue providing value, checking in, and staying top-of-mind. Your warm audience grows over time as you add new contacts.WarningDon't treat warm outreach as a one-time activity. It's an ongoing system.
With no marketing knowledge, Hormozi messaged everyone he knew offering free 12-week fitness training in exchange for a charity donation and testimonial rights. Six people said yes — two high school friends, one college friend, and three referrals.
Contact mentions they have two kids and work as an accountant. ACA response: Acknowledge — 'Two kids and you're an accountant...' Compliment — 'Wow! Supermom! So hardworking!' Ask — 'Do you have time to get workouts in?' This naturally steers toward a fitness offer.
Hormozi used warm outreach to get his very first clients when he quit his job to start a fitness business instead of going to Harvard MBA. With no advertising knowledge, he called, texted, and sent Facebook messages offering free 12-week training. Only six people said yes — but those six became the foundation for a business that replaced his income. He still uses warm outreach at scale today.