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Learn how to network with confidence, build real business relationships, and generate more referrals—even when networking doesn't come naturally.
Business networking doesn't have to feel awkward, intimidating, or salesy.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, salesperson, business owner, or professional who wants to build stronger relationships and generate more referrals, this podcast gives you practical networking strategies you can use the very next time you walk into a room.
Hosted by Faithann Basore, Business Networking & Referrals breaks down the invisible parts of networking that most people never teach—from creating better conversations and asking memorable questions to improving your elevator pitch, building credibility, following up naturally, reading buying signals, and turning introductions into lasting business relationships.
When networking makes you nervous, you're not alone. Many episodes are designed specifically to help you feel more confident in networking rooms by giving you simple frameworks, conversation starters, and mindset shifts that make connecting with people feel more natural. You'll learn how to enter conversations with confidence, overcome networking anxiety, and become someone people genuinely enjoy talking with.
You'll also hear live coaching sessions, real networking examples, referral strategies, communication tips, and interviews with successful professionals who share what's actually working to grow their businesses through relationships.
Whether you're attending your first networking event or you've been networking for years, you'll discover how to:
- Build authentic business relationships
- Create conversations that lead to referrals
- Deliver an elevator pitch people remember
- Improve your follow-up without sounding pushy
- Build trust and credibility faster
- Become more confident in networking rooms
- Generate more referrals through genuine connection
When your goal is to stop collecting business cards and start building meaningful business relationships that create real opportunities, you're in the right place.
Because great networking isn't about talking more. It's about creating opportunities for others that they would not have except for you, so you have standing to ask for opportunities when you need them.
Episodes
Jun 22, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
33 min
Ready to Recognize When Someone Is Ready to Buy?
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that better conversations create better opportunities. Once you learn how to create curiosity, the next step is recognizing when someone is inviting you to take the conversation further.
That's exactly what we'll be practicing in the Buying Signals Workshop, a six-week virtual experience where you'll learn how to recognize buying signals, respond naturally, and confidently move conversations toward the next step without feeling salesy.
Whether you're networking, meeting with prospects, or simply having everyday business conversations, this workshop will help you stop missing opportunities that are already happening right in front of you.
Learn more and reserve your spot in the Buying Signals Workshop today.
What if the reason people aren't referring you isn't because you're bad at networking... but because they don't understand your story?
In this episode of the Business Networking & Referrals Podcast, Faithann sits down with messaging strategist Kelly Harris of Kelly Harris Creative for a live coaching session on refining a networking pitch. Together, they unpack why vague language makes referrals difficult, how to replace business jargon with real-life examples, and why the stories you tell (or don't tell) shape how memorable you become.
Along the way, Kelly shares how networking transformed her confidence, what she learned from the Creating Curiosity Workshop, and why understanding buying signals is the next skill she's excited to develop.
Whether you're trying to explain your business more clearly or make it easier for others to refer you, this episode is full of practical takeaways you can begin using at your very next networking meeting.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- Why broad business language makes referrals harder.
- The importance of removing industry jargon from your networking pitch.
- Why stories make your business more memorable than features.
- How testimonials strengthen your referral language.
- Questions to include in your pitch that help others recognize ideal referrals.
- Why every pitch needs a clear call to action.
- What Kelly learned from the Creating Curiosity Workshop that changed the way she networks.
- Why practicing conversations in a safe environment builds confidence for real networking situations.
Mentioned in This Episode:
- Buying Signals Workshop (begins July 10)
- The Selling Staircase by Nikki Rausch
- Premium OKC Networking
- Kelly Harris Creative
Connect with Kelly Harris
If you've been struggling to explain what you do in a way that people immediately understand and remember, Kelly would love to connect with you.
Website: www.kellyharriscreative.com
Email: Kelly@kellyharriscreative.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyharriscreative/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kellyharriscreative/
Jun 22, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
21 min
What if the secret to better networking isn't saying more, but saying less?
In this episode, Faithann explores a quote that sparked a powerful insight:
"An interesting simplicity is the most precious and difficult thing to achieve."
From elevator pitches to networking conversations, referrals, and sales opportunities, the professionals who stand out are often the ones who make complex things simple and simple things interesting.
You'll learn:
- How to talk about multiple businesses without confusing your audience
- Why one business should be the "star" and the other the "supporting actor" in your introduction
- How to recognize when someone is giving you a buying signal during a networking meeting
- The difference between a one-to-one and a sales conversation
- Why listening for your name in other people's introductions can uncover unexpected opportunities
- What conversations belong at networking meetings—and which ones are better saved for later
Faithann also shares practical advice for creating networking conversations that feel easy, positive, and engaging while still moving relationships forward.
If you've ever struggled to explain what you do, wondered whether someone was interested in working with you, or wanted networking to feel more natural, this episode will give you a framework for making your interactions both memorable and effective.
Want to learn more from Faithann?
Explore current workshops and ways to improve your networking conversations here:
Jun 15, 2026
Jun 15, 2026
23 min
Have you ever heard someone say, "I tried networking once, and it just wasn't for me"?
What if the real problem wasn't networking itself, but the experience they had when they walked into the room?
In this solo episode, Faithann Basore explores why visitors often leave networking groups feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or invisible, and what established groups can do to create an environment where newcomers feel welcome enough to return.
Drawing from a conversation with a professional who recently had a negative networking experience, Faithann shares practical ways networking groups can become more intentional about first impressions, visitor engagement, and follow-up.
Whether you're a chapter president, membership coordinator, ambassador, or simply someone who cares about the growth of your networking community, this episode offers actionable ideas you can implement immediately.
In This Episode:
- Why many networking groups unintentionally appear cold or exclusive
- The difference between being friendly and being intentional about welcoming visitors
- How "tour guide" behavior helps newcomers feel included in conversations
- Why inside jokes and shared history can create barriers for first-time guests
- The power of matching and mirroring when speaking with shy or nervous attendees
- What to do when a visitor struggles through their elevator pitch
- How to reinforce someone's value even when their introduction isn't polished
- Why unanswered follow-up emails can undo an otherwise positive meeting experience
- Simple ways members can personally encourage visitors to return
- How small actions create stronger referral opportunities for everyone involved
Memorable Takeaways
"Visitors don't need a perfect networking group. They need a group that's intentional about making them feel welcome."
"Be the tour guide of every conversation."
"Your worth as a professional doesn't hinge on one sixty-second introduction."
"Networking is creating opportunities for others that they would not have except for you so that you have standing to ask for opportunities when you need them."
Connect with Faithann
Want more practical networking strategies that help you build genuine relationships and generate referrals?
Subscribe to Business Networking and Referrals and share this episode with the leaders and members of your networking groups. Together, we can create networking experiences that make people want to come back.
Free Resource for Listeners:
✨ Download Faithann’s 10 Questions to Ask in a One-to-One — a free guide to deepen your networking conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Grab your copy here ➡️ https://www.thenetworkerstourguide.net/resources
Connect with Faithann:
Want help applying the ideas from this episode to your own networking strategy? Book a Discovery Call to see what working together could look like.
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide
Join Premium OKC Networking for $95 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.
Join the Private Community: The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook
Know a networking group that prides itself on being welcoming? Share this episode with their leadership team and use it as a quick visitor-experience audit.
Jun 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
21 min
What do graduation parties, summer vacations, kids being home from school, and Fourth of July celebrations have to do with your networking pitch?
More than you might think.
In this solo episode, Faithann Basore explores how seasonal themes can make your networking introductions more memorable, more relevant, and easier for others to act on. Rather than giving a generic description of your business, you'll learn how to connect your referral ask to situations people are already thinking about and discussing.
You'll hear practical examples for service-based businesses, home services, virtual assistants, health and wellness professionals, and more. Faithann also shares two simple referral-seeding questions that help your network bring you up naturally in conversations without sounding salesy.
When you've ever struggled to help people remember who to refer to you, this episode will give you a fresh approach that aligns your message with what's already happening in your prospects' lives.
In This Episode:
- Why seasonal relevance increases attention during networking introductions
- How to use graduation and moving season in your referral ask
- Creative ways to connect your business to kids being home for the summer
- Fourth of July networking pitch ideas and referral opportunities
- Using holidays and seasonal events as metaphors in testimonials
- How to position your service as a "vacation from" a common problem
- Why people refer friends, not salespeople
- Two referral-seeding questions that make introductions feel natural:
- "What would it be like if...?"
- "Have you considered...?"
Key Takeaway
The best networking pitches don't simply describe what you do. They help people recognize a situation, hear the words a prospect might say, and know exactly how to introduce the idea of working with you. Seasonal themes give you a ready-made way to create relevance and increase referrals.
What would it be like to walk into your next networking meeting confident that your pitch is clear, memorable, and easy for others to refer?
Book a free 15-minute discovery call to see if a Pitch Strategy Session is the right next step for you.
Connect with Faithann Basore
Faithann Basore is the founder of The Networker's Tour Guide and Premium OKC Networking. She helps business owners create stronger networking conversations, clearer referral asks, and elevator pitches that make it easier for others to send referrals.
Free Resource for Listeners:
✨ Download Faithann’s 10 Questions to Ask in a One-to-One — a free guide to deepen your networking conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Grab your copy here ➡️ https://www.thenetworkerstourguide.net/resources
Connect with Faithann:
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide
Join Premium OKC Networking for $95 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.
Join the Private Community: The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook
Quote from This Episode
"The best pitches paint a picture of who you're looking for, and the best pitches put the actual words your clients are saying into the pitch."
Jun 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
35 min
Have you ever walked into a networking event, looked around the room, and realized you didn't know a single person?
In this episode of Business Networking and Referrals, host Faithann Basore sits down with Kelly Burton, owner of Boards by Kelly, to tackle one of the most common fears networkers face: how to confidently enter conversations when you're attending an event alone.
Kelly shares a real-life experience from a recent networking event where the friends she expected to see never showed up, leaving her to navigate a room full of strangers. Together, Faithann and Kelly discuss practical networking strategies that help turn awkward moments into meaningful connections.
You'll learn how to identify approachable groups, use curiosity to overcome self-consciousness, give genuine compliments that spark conversation, and gracefully exit conversations when it's time to meet new people. They also discuss the importance of building authentic relationships, networking with competitors, and creating positive interactions that lead to referrals over time.
Whether you're brand new to networking or simply looking to feel more confident in unfamiliar rooms, this episode offers actionable advice you can put to work at your very next event.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- What to do when you arrive at a networking event and don't know anyone
- How the "Three Question Reset" can help calm networking anxiety
- How to identify "open twos" and "open threes" and confidently join conversations already in progress
- How to enter existing conversations without feeling intrusive
- Why curiosity is one of the most powerful networking tools
- Conversation starters that create genuine connection
- How to gracefully leave a conversation and meet new people
- Why networking is about positive interactions, not immediate referrals
- The value of building relationships with competitors
About Kelly Burton
Kelly Burton is the owner of Boards by Kelly, an Oklahoma-based charcuterie board business that creates memorable food experiences for weddings, corporate events, graduations, engagement parties, and special celebrations. Alongside her sister Abby, Kelly has built a thriving business focused on making the event planning process effortless for clients while delivering beautiful, customized charcuterie displays.
Resources Mentioned
- Boards by Kelly: Boards by Kelly Website
- Instagram: @boardsbykelly.okc
- Subscribe to Kelly's newsletter, The Gouda Life
- Listen to Faithann's episode: The Three Question Reset
- Learn more about the We Rise Conference: We Rise Conference
Interested in personalized networking support? Schedule a discovery call with Faithann to explore ways to make networking easier, more enjoyable, and more effective for your business.
Connect with Faithann Basore
If you're ready to become more confident in networking rooms, strengthen your referral strategy, or develop a memorable introduction that opens doors, connect with Faithann Basore through The Networker's Tour Guide.
Free Resource for Listeners:
✨ Download Faithann’s 10 Questions to Ask in a One-to-One — a free guide to deepen your networking conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Grab your copy here ➡️ https://www.thenetworkerstourguide.net/resources
Connect with Faithann:
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide
Join Premium OKC Networking for $95 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.
Join the Private Community: The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook
May 25, 2026
May 25, 2026
33 min
What makes a networking presentation memorable?
In this solo episode of the Business Networking & Referrals Podcast, Faithann Basore breaks down how to make the most of those longer networking presentations that happen inside referral groups, networking organizations, chambers, and industry-exclusive meetings.
Whether you’re giving a 5-minute feature presentation in a weekly networking group or paying for extra speaking time at a monthly mixer, this episode will help you stop blending in and start creating real excitement around your business.
Faithann shares:
- the biggest mistakes networkers make during feature presentations,
- why preparation matters more than people realize,
- how audience engagement changes everything,
- and why your energy sets the ceiling for the entire room.
You’ll also hear a powerful story from Faithann’s time teaching Zumba that completely changed the way she thinks about speaking to groups.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How to make your networking presentations more engaging
- Why your audience mirrors your energy
- The danger of relying too heavily on slides
- How to prepare so you stay within your time limit
- Creative ways to involve your audience during presentations
- Why storytelling is one of the most powerful networking tools
- How to describe an ideal referral during a feature presentation
- Why self-deprecating humor hurts your credibility
This Episode Is Especially Helpful For:
- BNI members
- Chamber members
- Weekly networking groups
- Referral-based business owners
- Entrepreneurs who get nervous speaking in front of groups
- Anyone giving 5–10 minute feature presentations
Additional Support:
Thinking about improving your next networking presentation?
May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026
20 min
Connect with Faithann:
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide
Join Premium OKC Networking for $95 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.
Join the Private Community: The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook
May 11, 2026
May 11, 2026
20 min
What makes someone memorable in a networking room?
It’s usually not the person with the most polished elevator pitch. It’s the person who makes others feel comfortable, included, and genuinely heard.
In this solo episode, Faithann Basore shares 4 simple ways to bring more delight to your networking conversations so people naturally want to talk with you again, remember you later, and eventually trust you enough to refer you.
You’ll learn how small conversational habits—many of them almost invisible—can completely change the way people experience you in networking rooms.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How to make people feel more comfortable in conversations
- Why being a “tour guide” in group conversations builds trust quickly
- Why bringing interrupted people back into the conversation matters
- How storytelling makes you more memorable and magnetic
- A simple phrase that invites deeper, richer conversations
- How analogies make your stories easier to remember
The 4 Ways to Bring Delight to Networking Conversations
1. Be the tour guide of every conversation
Catch people up when they join late, reduce confusion, and help everyone feel included.
2. Bring people back in when they get interrupted
When someone gets talked over, help them finish their thought.
3. Invite people to tell stories
Use phrases like:
“I feel like there’s a story there.”
Stories naturally create deeper and more memorable conversations.
4. Tell better stories yourself
Use analogies and relatable comparisons to make your stories easier to understand and remember.
Resources & Next Steps
When you’re ready to feel more confident in networking rooms and develop stories that create curiosity and connection:
Want better one-to-one conversations?
👉 Download 10 Questions to Ask in a One-to-One
https://www.thenetworkerstourguide.net/resources
Connect with Faithann:
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide
Join Premium OKC Networking for $95 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.
Join the Private Community: The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook