Showerthought: I used to think networking meant just handing out business cards at events

Now I focus on having one real conversation with a single person, like the coffee chat I had with a local bakery owner last week. It's way more helpful for actually building a connection. Anyone else find that less is more when meeting people?

4 comments

4 Comments

david5622mo ago

My best leads always come from those quiet one-on-one chats too.

lucasjackson2mo ago

Quiet chats work because you're not selling, you're just being a person.

john6502mo ago

Remember when everyone thought networking was a numbers game? I got roped into a huge conference once, spent the whole day shaking hands and collecting cards. Felt like a used car lot. Ended up tossing most of them because I couldn't remember a single person. Now I just grab a beer with one guy from the supply chain group every few months. We never even talk shop, just complain about sports. He's the first guy I call when I need a real favor.

rubys802mo ago

I actually just read a study that said something like 80 percent of business deals come from just a handful of close contacts. It makes total sense if you think about it. Idk, those giant networking events always felt fake to me, like you're just performing. The real connections happen when you're not trying so hard, just hanging out naturally. That beer buddy thing is way more valuable than a stack of business cards you'll never look at again.