Feel like your networking efforts aren’t paying off?

The ONE thing that changes everything

The first week of April, I was in Scottsdale, Arizona, to attend a partner conference with Keap. Whenever I travel, I try to visit a few BNI chapters. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Not just to learn but to connect with others who also believe in the power of networking. 

As the Vice President of BNI Let's Unite, an online chapter based in Stockholm, Sweden, I’m always curious to see how other chapters are doing. I want to know how they run their meetings, present their weekly asks, and make guests feel welcome.

This time, I had the chance to visit three in-person chapters: BNI Titans, BNI Platinum, and BNI Profit Builders. Every chapter had its own unique energy, but one thing was clear in every room: the people who get the most out of their BNI membership are the ones who show up with intention.

That’s precisely what we’re diving into in today’s blog post. 

If you're a service-based business owner and a member of a professional network like BNI, you already know the potential:

• Warm referrals
• Trusted collaborations
• A steady stream of new clients

But here you are, months (maybe years) into your membership, and you're asking yourself: "Is this really working for me?"

You’re not alone. You might already be using the tools and training your network provides. But without consistency, even the best resources can fall flat. When you first join a network, there’s a lot to learn—how to structure your pitch, build trust, and give and receive referrals.

But once you’ve figured out the basics, the next step is the one that really makes the difference: consistency. 

When you build sustainable networking habits, the results compound: more warm referrals, trust, and clients. 

You may be missing one key piece: consistency.

Even if things are going well, you’re getting referrals and building solid relationships. There's still another level you could reach. More consistency means better follow-up, clearer asks, and more intentional networking that compounds over time.

Whether you’re stuck or doing okay but want to improve, this blog (and this month’s superpower theme) is for you.

It’s not about networking more. It’s about networking smarter. 

Most people join a networking group with the best of intentions. They attend the mandatory meetings, hand out a few business cards to guests, maybe give a referral only when someone asks if they know someone who can help them (and not actively find referrals for their business partners in the group), and invite a guest or two now and then. 

But outside of the mandatory meetings, networking becomes something you do only when you "have time" or "feel like it". At that point, it stops being a strategy and becomes a chore. 

You can’t get results from something you only do when it fits into the leftover time.

What might be holding you back 

Here are the most common reasons service providers don’t get results from professional networking:

• There’s no weekly rhythm. Invites, follow-ups, 1-2-1s, and thank-yous happen randomly, if at all.
• Asks are vague or inconsistent. People don’t know who to refer to you.
• No system for follow-up. Guests visit, referrals are given or received, and then nothing.
• Everything lives in your head. You forget to schedule, track, or follow through.

It’s not about working harder. It’s about making it easier to do the right things every week.

Networking is a skill, and like any superpower, it grows with practice

Doing the work once in a while doesn’t build strength. Repeating key actions, such as inviting, following up, connecting, and tracking, turns effort into habit.

And once it’s a habit? That’s when networking becomes your business superpower.

You’re not just "doing your best." You’re following a rhythm that builds visibility, trust, and results. 

A small shift that changes everything 

Imagine this: You have a 60-minute block on your calendar every Wednesday (you choose your day; I pick Wednesday since that is when we have our weekly meetings with my chapter) to plan your networking next week.

• Invite one guest to an upcoming meeting
• Schedule one 1-2-1 for next week
• Find a match to someone's ask in your network and make an introduction
• Follow up with a guest you met last week
• Prepare for your upcoming weekly asks

That simple rhythm could turn your networking ROI around in just a few weeks—without adding more to your plate.

Uplevel your professional networking

Are you tired of missing referrals, forgetting follow-ups, or feeling like your networking isn't bringing real results? There’s a better way, and I’ll show you how.

Read more & grab your seat

This is the first post in our April content series on building networking consistency and confidence—to uplevel your superpower of professional networking. Stay tuned for next week's post on best practices that actually work.