Get Excited About Them

The Most Useful Networking Advice We Can Give

If there’s one piece of advice that consistently changes how people experience networking, it’s this:

Be genuinely interested in the person you’re talking to.

That’s it.

It sounds simple—almost too simple—but it’s one of the most powerful shifts you can make in how you show up at events, especially in a world where networking has come roaring back after a long pause.

Networking Is Back—and So Is the Pressure

There are more events than ever right now. Conferences, industry gatherings, association meetings—it’s all happening again. And with that comes a familiar pressure:

• “I should be meeting people.”
• “I need to be more outgoing.”
• “I have to represent my firm well.”

For many people—especially those who are naturally quieter or more introverted—that pressure can make networking feel like a performance.

But effective networking coaching isn’t about performing. It’s about connecting.

Stop Leading With Yourself

Most people walk into a networking event thinking:

“How do I explain what I do?”

That’s understandable—but it’s also backwards.

The fastest way to create a meaningful conversation is not to communicate your value. It’s to discover theirs.

This is a foundational idea in both business development coaching and business speaking: people engage more deeply when they feel seen, heard, and understood.

Ask Better Questions

If you want to have a productive conversation with someone new, focus on questions that unlock what matters to them. For example:

• Who do you typically work with?
• What does your ideal client look like?
• What challenges do they bring to you?
• What do you actually do to help them?
• What does success look like for them?

These aren’t surface-level questions. They go straight to the heart of what someone does and why it matters.

And when you ask them with real curiosity, something shifts.

Turn the Conversation Into a Shared Experience

Think of networking like a chemistry experiment.

You’re bringing your presence into the interaction. They’re bringing theirs. And together, you’re seeing what happens when those two things mix.

Your goal is not to impress them. It’s to create energy in the conversation.

The easiest way to do that is to get them talking about something they care about—and then join them in that interest.

This is where confident presence and Presence Coaching come into play. You’re not forcing a connection. You’re facilitating one.

People Want to Talk About What Matters to Them

Despite all the jokes people make about their jobs, most people have at least one part of their work that they genuinely enjoy.

Your job is to find it.

And when you do:

• Lean into it
• Ask follow-up questions
• Get curious about the details
• Share their enthusiasm

Sometimes, you may even find yourself more excited about their work than they are.

That’s not a bad thing—that’s connection.

You Don’t Need Small Talk

A common misconception is that networking starts with small talk—weather, hobbies, surface-level topics.

It doesn’t have to.

You can skip straight to meaningful conversation by being interested in what they do and why it matters.

You don’t need to find something in common ahead of time.

You create common ground by being interested.

This is a key principle in leadership presence coaching and executive presence coaching: connection is not about similarity—it’s about engagement.

What Happens When You Get This Right

When you approach networking this way, a few things naturally happen:

• People feel valued and understood
• Conversations become more engaging and less forced
• You stand out—not by talking more, but by listening better
• Relationships start forming organically

And perhaps most importantly:

People enjoy being around you.

Not because you were polished. Not because you delivered a perfect pitch. But because you made the interaction feel good.

A Different Way to Think About Networking

Instead of asking:

“How do I present myself well?”

Try asking:

“How can I make this conversation valuable for them?”

That shift changes everything.

It aligns with the core of business development communication training and even group presentation coaching: focus on the audience, and your own effectiveness rises naturally.

Give It a Shot

The next time you walk into a networking event, don’t worry about what you’re going to say about yourself.

Walk in with curiosity.

Ask better questions.

Get genuinely interested.

And see what happens when you let the other person’s story lead the conversation.

You may find that networking becomes less about effort—and more about discovery.

And that’s where the best relationships begin.