Overheard a client say 'networking is just collecting contacts' and I had to bite my tongue

I was at a coworking space in Portland last week and overheard this guy on a call telling someone that networking in creative fields is basically just hoarding business cards and LinkedIn connections. He sounded so sure of himself, like it was just a numbers game. That really bugged me because I think the opposite is true, especially for us freelancers and small studio folks. The real value comes from actually talking to people, sharing what you're working on, and seeing if there's a way to help each other out. I've gotten more work from a single coffee chat with another designer than from handing out 50 cards at a conference. Has anyone else noticed that the pros who get the best referrals are the ones who treat networking like building actual friendships, not a sales funnel?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jana1mo ago

Didn't a guy in that documentary say something about collecting friends instead of contacts?

miles_burns1mo ago

My buddy calls it "the human Pokemon approach" - gotta catch 'em all, but at least you can trade business cards instead of battling.

ellioth371mo ago

Networking is just collecting contacts" - yeah that seems right to me. And @the_jana, mostly just collecting friends with extra steps.