Inviting external members takes some effort upfront, but the network value they add is substantial. This guide covers who should invite them, how to do it, and what to say.
Who should send the invitation
The invite should come from the person who has the strongest relationship with the external member — typically a founder, CEO, or executive. Not a junior team member, not an automated system email.
Board members, investors, and advisors are used to getting impersonal outreach. An invitation from someone they actually know and respect is far more likely to get accepted — and to get them to complete setup properly, including connecting their email and uploading LinkedIn connections.
Three ways to invite
1. Direct email invitation (recommended)
Send a personalized email using the template below. CC cs@ctd.ai so CTD's customer success team can help the external member with any setup questions.
Hi [Name],
[Personalization - one or two sentences specific to this person and your relationship with them.]
We've just rolled out CTD.ai company-wide, and I'd like us to expand our network by having our board, investors, advisors, and partners join. By joining, you'd be giving us visibility into your network in a secure way so we can make targeted asks for warm introductions. We'd also be giving you visibility into our network - a faster path to who is actually connected to a particular person or business.
Click here to set up your free CTD account - it takes just 5 minutes.
We can discuss live if you have any questions, but please make sure to also go through your LinkedIn connections, and if you're open to it, you're welcome to add your personal email as well to boost connections and surface the right paths to the right people.
Thanks,
[Your name]
P.S. A note on privacy: Our IT team has thoroughly vetted CTD for security and privacy. No one will ever be able to reach out to your contacts directly nor see your contacts' email addresses, phone numbers, or other sensitive information. Email data will only contain metadata such as email addresses, names, and dates - it does not include any email bodies.
CTD's customer success team is CC'd and happy to help with any setup questions.
Personalization matters. A sentence or two that references your shared history, a recent conversation, or why you specifically want their network in the mix will significantly increase response rate. Skip the personalization and it reads like a mass invite — which is exactly what it isn't.
2. Call or text first, then send the link
If you primarily communicate with someone over the phone or text, a quick heads-up call works well: "Hey, I'm going to send you a link shortly — we've rolled out a tool company-wide and I'd love for you to join our network. Takes five minutes. I'll explain more when you click through, but look out for the link."
Then send the invitation link immediately after the call while the conversation is fresh. The personal heads-up dramatically increases the chance they actually click and complete setup.
3. Heads-up message, then formal invite
For situations where you want to prime someone before the formal invitation arrives — especially useful when inviting a larger group like all advisors or all board members — send a short message first:
"Hey — we've just rolled out Connect The Dots company-wide. You'll receive a formal invitation shortly. Please accept it so we can have visibility into your network. You have full control over privacy and sharing settings. Looking forward to having you in the network."
This works because the external member hears it directly from someone they trust before any system email lands in their inbox. They know it's coming, they know why, and they're already bought in.
Two ways to send the invitation
Invite a specific person (via the app)
Go to External members in your admin settings, enter the person's email address, and send. When they sign up and connect their account, they're automatically added to your network — no approval step needed.
Share your invitation link
Your CTD workspace has a shareable invitation link you can include in emails, messages, or a group email to multiple people at once — find it in External members. When someone joins via this link, you'll see a one-time approval step — this is just to confirm that whoever joined is actually someone you know and intended to invite. Approve them and they're in.
Template: VC inviting portfolio founders and executives
For investment firms, the most valuable external members are founders and executives of portfolio companies. The value proposition is different here — you're not asking them to help you reach your targets, you're offering them access to your firm's network as a resource for their own business. Frame it that way.
Hi [Name],
[Personalization - reference the portfolio company, a recent milestone, or something specific to your relationship.]
We've rolled out CTD.ai across [Firm name] and our portfolio, and I'd like to invite you to join our network as an external member. By connecting, you'll get direct access to our firm's collective network - partners, LPs, advisors, and co-investors - so you can find warm introduction paths to customers, hires, and partners without having to ask us each time.
In return, we'd have visibility into your network, which helps us make better introductions across the portfolio and source relationships that benefit everyone.
Click here to set up your free CTD account - it takes just 5 minutes. We'd encourage you to connect your email and upload your LinkedIn connections to get the most out of it.
Happy to walk you through it on our next call if helpful.
[Your name]
P.S. A note on privacy: Our IT team has thoroughly vetted CTD for security and privacy. No one will ever be able to reach out to your contacts directly nor see your contacts' email addresses, phone numbers, or other sensitive information. Email data will only contain metadata such as email addresses, names, and dates - it does not include any email bodies.
CTD's customer success team is CC'd and happy to help with any setup questions.
The key difference with this template: you're leading with what they get — access to your firm's network — rather than asking for a favor. For founders, this is a genuine offer. Your firm's partners, LPs, and advisor network is often exactly what they need to find their next enterprise customer, key hire, or strategic partner. CTD makes that accessible without requiring them to ping you every time.