Why Timing in Important in Networking

I’ve been thinking a lot about why people attend networking events, have a decent conversation, exchange details… and then do absolutely nothing with it.

Or they follow up once, get no immediate result, and move on.

That raises a bigger question: why were they there in the first place?

Were they there for a quick sale?
Were they there because they felt they “should” be networking?
Or were they genuinely there to build relationships that could lead to business over time?

The real issue is often not interest. It is timing.

One of the biggest mistakes people make in networking is assuming that their timeline should also be the prospect’s timeline.

They want a result this month.
They want a meeting this week.
They want a quote request now.

But the other person may be:

• tied into an existing supplier
• not quite ready to move
• focused on another priority
• interested, but not urgent
• simply overloaded

That does not mean there is no opportunity.

It often means: not yet.

And “not yet” is where many people give up too soon.

Do people give up too soon? In my view, yes.

I think many people are driven by their own time frame, their own pressure, and what they want to achieve by when.

That is understandable. We all have targets, responsibilities, and bills to pay.

But if we only view networking through our own deadlines, we miss what is actually happening in the relationship.

The other person may become:

• a client later
• a referrer sooner
• a collaborator unexpectedly
• an introducer to someone better suited now

If we disappear too quickly, we never find out.

Networking is about relationships and timing.

Anyone can collect business cards, LinkedIn connections, or names in a room.

The real skill is knowing how to:

1. follow up well
2. stay in touch without pestering
3. be remembered at the right time

That is where relationship-building becomes a genuine business strategy rather than a hopeful social activity.

Because timing matters in sales.
And timing matters even more in trust.

Why people don’t follow up properly

In my experience, there are a few common reasons:

• They expected a quick return and felt disappointed
• They didn’t have a clear process
• They didn’t know what to say after the first contact
• They were worried about sounding pushy
• They had no system to remind them who to contact and when

That last one is a big one.

People often say they want to build relationships, but they are trying to manage follow-up from memory.

That is like trying to run a business from sticky notes and good intentions.

This is where a pipeline matters

If you want to build business through relationships, you need some form of pipeline. Not because you want to “process people”.

Because you want to respect timing.

A simple pipeline helps you track:

• who you met
• where you met them
• what they do
• what matters to them
• when you last spoke
• what the logical next step is
• when to reconnect

In other words, it helps you stay human consistently.

And consistency is what builds familiarity.
Familiarity builds trust.
Trust creates opportunities.

Staying in touch is not chasing

This is where many people get stuck.

They think follow-up means asking for business again and again.

It doesn’t.

Staying in touch can be:

• sharing a useful article
• congratulating them on a milestone
• commenting on their post thoughtfully
• introducing them to someone relevant
• checking in after a conversation they mentioned
• sending a short “thought of you when I saw this” message

That is not pressure.
That is presence.

And when their timing changes, guess who they remember?

The person who stayed visible and helpful.

A better way to think about networking

I believe networking works best when you stop asking:

“How quickly can this person buy from me?”

and start asking:

“How can I build enough trust that I’m an obvious choice when the timing is right?”

That shift changes everything.

It also makes networking feel less forced, less transactional, and far more productive over time.

Final thought

Some people are not ready when you meet them.

That doesn’t make the conversation a waste of time.

It makes it the start of a timeline.

The question is whether you have the patience, process, and relationship mindset to stay in touch long enough for timing to do its job.

Call to action

I’m curious how others handle this.

How do you stay in touch with people you meet through networking without becoming a nuisance?
Do you use a CRM system, a spreadsheet, a notebook, or nothing at all?