The Most Valuable Thing I’ve Gained from Networking?

The Most Valuable Thing I’ve Gained from Networking?

(It’s Never Been a Lead.)

When people talk about networking, they usually talk about what they got from it. A lead. A deal. A client. A quick win.

And yes — networking can be great for business. Done right, it can open doors. Spark conversations. Even land you your biggest clients. But when I look back on the past few years — the coffee chats, the follow-ups, the random conversations that somehow turned into something —the things that stayed with me weren’t leads.

They were people.

The Things No One Puts on a Pipeline

A mentor who challenged how I think. A connection who introduced me to someone that shifted everything. A colleague-turned-friend who checked in when things were falling apart.

These aren’t metrics you track in a CRM. They’re human moments. And strangely, they’re the ones that often lead to the biggest shifts — in work, in mindset, in life.

Because when networking is done well, you don’t just build a contact list. You build real, lasting relationships. The kind that stay with you. Support you. And sometimes, yes — refer business to you again and again.

What We Get Wrong About “Networking”

Somewhere along the way, networking became a dirty word. It started to feel… performative.

Rooms full of name tags and rehearsed pitches. LinkedIn DMs that start with flattery and end with a Calendly link. People who are “just checking in” — until they try to sell you something.

But real networking? It doesn’t look like that. It doesn’t sound like that.

It looks like showing up. Following through. Offering help without expecting a favour back.

It sounds like “How’s everything going, really?” Not “Can I pick your brain?”

What Actually Builds Relationships?

Not a pitch. Not a clever line. Not a stack of business cards.

But this:

• Consistency. One genuine coffee a month beats 20 forced messages in a day.
• Curiosity. Ask better questions. Care about the answers.
• Generosity. Introduce someone. Share a resource. Recommend without being asked.
• Follow-up. Not once. Not twice. Stay in touch — even when you’re not trying to close something.

Because the truth is…

You don’t have to be “salesy” to build a network. You just have to be human.

The Real Opportunity

The best things I’ve gained from networking weren’t deals. They were people.

People who made me think differently. People who helped when there was nothing in it for them. People who turned up — fully, genuinely, and with no agenda.

And maybe that’s the biggest shift we need:

Stop thinking about who you know. Start thinking about how you show up — for who you know.

Because if you get that right…The leads will come. And even better — the relationships will last.