To some, networking is a way to advance their career, for others it’s how they do business, but we think it’s a way of life.
It’s a thread that connects us with opportunities, where every conversation is a chance to learn and inspire.
Throughout history, there have been many ways people liked to describe networking and inspire others to connect with people.
We compiled a list of our 50 favorite quotes about networking that will inspire you to go out there and meet someone new.
Networking Quotes
1. “Networking is not about fishing with a net; it’s about nurturing an ecosystem.” – Adam Grant
2. “Your network is the path to your future, not your backup plan.” – Dorie Clark
3. “When you consider the importance of Word-of-Mouth, referrals, recommendations, and knowledge-sharing do you even have a choice? Your network is your everything.” – Vedran Rasic
4. “Your network is your net worth.” – Porter Gale
5. “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” – Steve Jobs
6. “Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. It’s about cultivating relationships.” – Ivan Misner
7. “Networking is working.” – Denise Morrison
8. “Networking is the No.1 unwritten rule of success in business.” – Sallie Krawcheck
9. “The true value of networking doesn’t come from how many people we can meet but rather how many people we can introduce to others.” – Simon Sinek
10. “LinkedIn is a networking event that’s live 24/7. Don’t be the guy in the corner taking sips from an empty cup. Go introduce yourself. Post. Engage. Start conversations. And have fun.” – Ivan Falco
11. “All the time and effort put into networking can be all for naught if there is no follow-through. The same goes for sales. And leadership. And well, everything.” – Beth Ramsay
12. “Networking that matters is helping people achieve their goals” – Seth Godin
13. “The richest people in the world build networks. Everyone else is trained to look for work.” – Robert Kiyosaki
14. “A really important part of networking is actually about what you bring to the table-not just what you want to get out of it. Contribution is a big part of networking success.” – Gina Romero
15. “Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.” – Michele Jennae
16. “Build a relationship with people you do serious business with. One can escape a deal but not a relation easily.“ – Sunita Biddu
17. “Succeeding in business is all about making connections.“ – Richard Branson
18. “Networking is an investment in your business. It takes time and when done correctly, can yield great results for years to come. – Diane Helbig
19. “Everyone should build their network before they need it.” – Dave Delaney
20. “The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” – Keith Ferrazzi
21. “Everyone you’ll ever meet knows something you don’t.” – Bill Nye
22. “Business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal.” – Mark Cuban
23. “Networking with integrity creates a greater willingness of all parties to be part of a human conduit to serve as energy and resource to one another. Sometimes you will give more than you receive, and sometimes you will get back more than you give. It’s not about keeping score.” – Chris London
24. “The richest people in the world look for and build networks. Everyone else looks for work.” – Robert Kiyosaki
25. “You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.” – Dale Carnegie
26. “Networking is a lot like nutrition and fitness: we know what to do, the hard part is making it a top priority.” – Herminia Ibarra
27. “To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.” – George Ross
28. “Ask not what your network can do for you. Ask what you can do for your network.” – Greg Bahlmann
29. “Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, your uniqueness, what you stand for.” – Christine Comaford-Lynch
30. “INetworking is about making meaningful connections, not handing out the most business cards.” – Susan RoAne
31. “Pulling a good network together takes effort, sincerity, and time.” – Alan Collins
32. “Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to the community.” – Simon Mainwaring
33. “Inversely, when you are in a small group of people or friends, and you don’t make an effort to speak to everyone, it may be considered as rude. Rather than run the risk of people feeling neglected or dismissed, make an effort to Mix, Mingle, and Glow…” – Susan C. Young
34. “Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program.” – Susan RoAne
35. “If we create networks with the sole intention of getting something, we won’t succeed. We can’t pursue the benefits of networks; the benefits ensue from investments in meaningful activities and relationships.” – Adam Grant
36. “Networking is simply the cultivating of mutually beneficial, give-and-take, win-win relationships. It works best, however, when emphasizing the “give” part.” – Bob Burg
37. “What makes networking work is that it sets up win-win situations in which all parties involved get to take something home. Networking is a sharing process. Until you understand that, you won’t have much of a network.” – Earl G. Graves, Sr.
38. “If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people.” – Chinese Proverb
39. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” – African Proverb
40. “The opposite of networking is not working.” – Someone Smart
41. “Instead of better glasses, your network gives you better eyes.” – Ronald Burt
42. “Opportunities don’t float like clouds. They are attached to people.” – Reid Hoffman
43. “Networking means the act of kindness without an immediate agenda.” – Adam Rifkin
44. “Know where you want to go and make sure the right people know about it.” – Meredith Mahoney
45. “Great networkers don’t just connect people to themselves, they connect people to each other.” – Michele Jennae
46. “In the social era, your network is your distribution.” – Nilofer Merchant
47. “My Golden Rule of Networking is simple: Don’t keep score.” – Harvey Mackay
48. “People can tell. They know, maybe consciously, perhaps unconsciously, if you are truly interested in them or just fakin’ it in order to manipulate or “get something” from them.” – Bob Burg
49. “If you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been there.” – Robert Kiyosaki
50. “The way of the world is meeting people through other people.” – Robert Kerrigan
To Wrap Up
Lots of networking quotes, right?
Take these quotes about networking and implement their wisdom into your day-to-day life and you will be on your way to achieving greatness.
