Business Networking & Referrals with Faithann Basore

Episode 62: Decline First, Connect Always - How Thoughtful Networkers Say No

Saying no doesn’t have to damage relationships. In this solo episode, Faithann shares practical ways to decline invitations, events, and discovery calls with grace—while still building trust and rapport. You’ll learn how thoughtful networkers listen generously, keep conversations moving forward, and leave doors open even when the answer isn’t yes.

Faithann also shares why recognizing buying signals matters just as much as declining with grace. When you know how to listen for curiosity and readiness in conversation, you won’t miss natural opportunities to invite the right people to take the next step. Details about the upcoming Buying Signals for Networkers Mastermind—based on Nikki Rausch’s Buying Signals—are included for listeners who want guided practice and deeper confidence in these conversations.

Hop on the Buying Signals waitlist for first access + special pricing.
👉 https://thenetworkerstourguide.com/buyingsignals

Previous Episodes Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 61: The Race to Positive Interactions- Networking When Others Do What You Do

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 $65 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

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Episode 61: The Race to Positive Interactions - Networking When Others Do What You Do

This solo episode was inspired by a question that popped up inside Premium OKC Networking, my online platform where local business owners can find vetted places to connect across the metro. Members can ask questions, share offers, and access the Learning Tab — complete with courses and videos of every organizer featured on the networking calendar.

This week, a member asked:

“What should someone do when there are several people in their same industry at a networking meeting?”

That question sparked today’s episode.

To answer it, I walk through what I’d say to a coaching client facing that same frustration — someone like “Beth,” a photographer who feels overshadowed in rooms where two or three other photographers regularly show up. Before talking strategy, we start with mindset. And yes… that mindset comes with a very Faithann version of the Cinderella story — fairy godmother included — to help reframe the idea of “competition.”

Because here’s the truth:
You’re not competing with the title on someone’s name tag. You’re building relationships through the kinds of positive interactions only you can create.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ Why your title doesn’t define your value

Your identity isn’t “photographer,” “planner,” “inspector,” or “agent.” Your value is your problem-solving perspective — the one thing that can’t be copied, xeroxed, or duplicated.

✨ How to win the “race to positive interactions”

Networking isn’t about eliminating competition. It’s about stacking enough positive interactions that people begin to think:
“I trust you with this referral.”

✨ The Cinderella analogy that shifts your mindset instantly

If everyone in the room has the same “blue eyes,” what truly sets you apart is everything else you bring into the room — your voice, your rapport, your curiosity, your generosity, your approach.

✨ What to do when there really are too many people who do what you do

You’ll hear practical strategies including:

• Joining an industry-exclusive group (and the mindset required once you do)

• Starting your own group if no seat opens

• Using paid membership tiers within open groups to increase exposure

• Serving in leadership to create more natural interactions

• Building abundance-based relationships with others in your same industry

✨ What not to do when you’re sharing a room with your “competition”

You’ll learn:

• Why badmouthing or subtly undercutting others will always backfire

• How scarcity energy repels referrals

• How to acknowledge peers with abundance and tact

• A simple seating strategy to make pitch time more comfortable

Links & Resources

Join my Facebook community:
The Networker’s Tour Guide on Facebook — I go live every week at 5 PM with networking tips and strategies.

Explore Premium OKC Networking:
If you're local to Oklahoma City and want one trusted place to find vetted networking events, discussion threads, organizer videos, and networking courses — membership is just $65/year.

✨ 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

Previous Episodes Mentioned in the Episode:

Episode 53 with Leah Rose Tangren

Episode 43 with Dirk Houglum

Episode 60: Live at Five- Your Pitch, Your Presence, Your Magic Wand

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

 

In this episode, Faithann takes you behind the scenes of her Live at Five trainings inside The Networker’s Tour Guide Facebook group. You’ll hear a curated compilation of four short lives (from August–November 2025) all focused on one thing: helping you use your introduction time with confidence, clarity, and curiosity—without rambling or listing everything you do.

You’ll also hear Faithann reflect on why repeating powerful concepts matters. Just like the decision-making framework she learned from former guest Danielle Baily, some ideas need to be heard more than once before they show up in how we actually behave in the room.

If you’ve ever felt rushed, scattered, or apologetic during your pitch time, this episode will feel like a mini-workshop you can replay again and again.

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In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to weave gratitude into your pitch
  Use one of your weekly pitches each year to publicly thank someone in your networking group—like the person who invited you, a member you look up to, or your leadership team—and why this “word hug” builds trust and goodwill in the room.

• Why going over your time hurts your credibility
  What really happens when you say, “Just one more thing…” after your time is clearly up—and how it impacts both your reputation and the leader’s ability to end the meeting on time.

• The “elevator” analogy for your elevator pitch
  How to take your listeners down into one clear scenario (who you’re looking for, what they’re saying/feeling/doing) and then gently bring them back up with a simple way to bring you up in conversation—instead of doing a sideways, “Tasmanian devil” list of everything you offer.

• What Sesame Street can teach you about your introduction
  Why you should skip caveats, apologies, and “I was going to talk about…” and jump straight into your name, your business, and the story or scenario you want people to remember.

• How to bring “fairy godmother energy” to your pitch
  A fresh way to see yourself as a powerful problem-solver—waving one clear magic wand to help clients get from stuck to the result they really want, instead of trying to cram tacos, Mustangs, and trips to Tahiti into one minute. 😉

• Five simple tweaks to make your pitch more memorable
  Including:

  • Saying your name and business twice (beginning and end)

  • Enunciating clearly if your name/business is uncommon

  • Using pauses to let important phrases land

  • Matching your tone to the emotion of your story

  • Focusing on one kind of referral per pitch, not all of them

• How repetition helps you actually use these ideas
  Why hearing these concepts multiple times makes it more likely they’ll come to mind in the moment—right before you stand up to speak.

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Mentioned in this episode

• Danielle Baily – Decision-making framework that inspired Faithann’s reminder that some ideas need to be heard more than once

• Episode 27- The Experts We Meet Part 3 with Danielle Baily

• The Networker’s Tour Guide Facebook Group – Faithann’s free community where she hosts weekly Live at Five trainings, invites members to share offers and events, and helps you sharpen your pitch in real time

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🎧 After you listen:
Ask yourself, “What’s one small tweak I can make to my next pitch—this week?” Then try it at your next meeting and notice how the room responds.

 

 

Episode 59: Why Thankful Networkers Win - The Power of Nurturing Existing Relationships

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

As we head into Thanksgiving week, there’s no better time to pause and appreciate the business relationships that make our work meaningful. Whether you call them your business besties, referral partners, or the people who cheer you on behind the scenes, these connections deserve intentional care — not just during the holidays, but all year long.

In this solo episode, Faithann shares six practical ways (plus a bonus!) to nurture the relationships that already support you, refer to you, and make your business better. These are simple, thoughtful habits that deepen trust, strengthen rapport, and remind people that you see them — and value them.

If you’ve been focused on growing your network, this episode is a refreshing reminder:
Sometimes the greatest opportunities come from the relationships you already have.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. Why nurturing existing relationships matters

Faithann explains why the people already in your ecosystem — the supportive ones, the collaborative ones, the soul-feeding ones — should never be taken for granted. These relationships deserve ongoing attention.

2. The simplest relationship-builder of all: follow up on referrals

Nothing communicates gratitude and professionalism more than following up quickly and personally when someone sends you an opportunity.

3. How to care for people even when you can’t attend their events

A quick check-in (“How did it go?”) can mean the world to someone hosting or organizing an event you had to miss.

4. The underrated power of “I was just thinking of you”

A small message at the right time deepens bonds and reconnects you with people you care about.

5. The question that feels like a hug: “How can I support you in your business right now?”

Faithann shares why this question nourishes long-term partnerships and how to use it with both new and established connections.

6. How learning someone’s “best day” unlocks ways to serve them better

Faithann shares a personal story about her daughter — and how understanding someone’s best day helps you recreate the essence of what matters most to them.

7. Duplicate what made you feel good

From a recent networking moment, Faithann shares a tiny phrase that lit her up — and how to use that insight to encourage others.

Bonus: Host a three-way lunch (or coffee)

A simple, meaningful way to introduce two people who don’t know each other — and expand opportunities for everyone involved.

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A Thanksgiving Reminder

As you gather with family, friends, or your holiday tables this week, take a moment to appreciate the business people who’ve walked alongside you this year. A message, a check-in, or a thoughtful introduction might be the very thing that strengthens that relationship for years to come.

Connect with Faithann:
Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide

Join Premium OKC Networking for $65 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

Previous Episodes Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 41: How Do I Bring You Up and How Do I Support You-Answers Every Networker Needs

Ep 54: Zoo Keeping For Leaders-How To Build Stronger Networking Teams with Kristen Partridge

Vanessa Van Edwards (mentioned in this episode)

https://www.instagram.com/vvanedwards/

Episode 58: Selling the Experience, Not the Ingredients - Marketing Wisdom for Makers with Sara Golding

✨ 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

In this inspiring and practical episode, host Faithann Basore sits down with Sara Golding, a dual business owner who bridges the worlds of bookkeeping and handcrafted products. Sara shares insights that every maker, creator, and product-based business owner needs to hear—especially as the holiday season approaches.

Sara’s message is simple but powerful: your customers aren’t buying ingredients—they’re buying results and experiences. From dry skin to gift-giving anxiety, Sara shows how to shift your focus from product details to customer transformation.

You’ll learn how to talk about your products in ways that connect emotionally, stay compliant with industry regulations, and ultimately build customer trust that lasts. Plus, Faithann and Sara dive into one of Faithann’s favorite concepts—the Tasmanian Devil Pitch—and how simplifying your message helps people remember and refer you more easily.

This week, think about the makers and creators in your network. Reach out and ask them, “How can I bring you up at my Thanksgiving dinner table?”
Be intentional about giving referrals that help handcrafted business owners thrive during the holidays.

Connect with Sara Golding

• 💼 Bookkeeping & Strategy: SunnyGirlBusinessSolutions.com

• 🕯️ Handcrafted Gifts & Wholesale: SunnyWishes.com

• 💬 Join her Facebook Group: Makers in Business — a community for product-based entrepreneurs 

Connect with Faithann:

Instagram: @thenetworkerstourguide

Join Premium OKC Networking for $65 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

Episode 57: Finding Your Foothold - How to Communicate What Really Matters with Sarah Warren

Are you ever caught trying to explain what you do—and realizing halfway through that you’ve lost your listener? In this episode, Faithann welcomes Sarah Warren, owner of Sarif & Sway, a strategic communications expert who helps businesses translate complex ideas into messages that actually connect.

Faithann and Sarah explore how to bridge the gap between specialized knowledge and everyday understanding, why respect is essential when communicating expertise, and how clear storytelling builds credibility and trust. Sarah also shares her journey from research communications at the University of Oklahoma to entrepreneurship, along with powerful lessons about curiosity, empathy, and simplifying without losing depth.

💡 You’ll learn:

• Why complicated doesn’t have to mean confusing

• The balance between clarity and respect when explaining your work

• How to “meet people where they are” in communication and networking

• Why authentic simplicity often outperforms trying to sound smart

Plus, you’ll hear practical takeaways for business owners, from explaining technical services to helping clients understand your value—without jargon.

Connect with Sarah:

Website: Serif+Sway

Linked IN: Sarah Warren, M.P. W.

Facebook: Serif + Sway

Instagram: @serifandsway

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 $65 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

 

Episode 56: Building Order Around Unbridled Potential

🎙️ Episode 56 – Building Order Around Unbridled Potential
with Faithann Basore

In this solo episode, Faithann continues the conversation from Episode 55 (Networking in Unbridled Potential) by exploring how to bring just enough order to the chaos of networking — the kind that helps people feel safe, seen, and confident to connect.

You’ll learn how to:

• Build “fences” around your networking meetings that keep the energy high but focused.

• Create clear agendas that build trust and reduce confusion.

• Lead with clarity in your marketing, directions, and food choices so attendees feel cared for and come back again.

Because when leaders provide consistency and safety, conversations flow freely and connections grow stronger.

💻 Want to dive deeper?
You can also read this episode’s topic in blog form on The Networker’s Tour Guide blog:
👉 Order in Networking: Creating Safety and Clarity for Connection

 

🎧 Tune in to discover why confusion repels and clarity attracts — and how to build a networking experience that invites real connection.

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 $65 for a 1 year access to Faithann's networking calendar, community forum, and networking courses.

Join the private Facebook community, The Networker’s Tour Guide — it’s free to join!

Episode 55: Networking in Unbridled Potential

In this solo episode, Faithann Basore unpacks what it really means to walk into a networking room filled with uncertainty — and why that “chaos” might actually be the best thing for your business.

Drawing from her blog post “Confidence Grows in the Chaos of Change,” Faithann reframes the nerves and unpredictability of networking as unbridled potential — the fertile ground where confidence, relationships, and opportunity are born.

If you’ve ever walked into a mixer or meeting feeling awkward, intimidated, or unsure, this episode will help you see that chaos isn’t confusion — it’s change waiting to happen.

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🧭 Key Takeaways

• Chaos = Potential: Networking “chaos” isn’t disorder — it’s where new opportunities, collaborations, and referrals begin to take shape.

• The Two Questions to Ask Before You Walk In:

  1. What opportunities are in this room for me?

  2. What opportunities do I have for others that I just don’t know about yet?

• Networking Is Change: Every conversation moves your business — and someone else’s — forward. You’re always growing toward something new.

• The Sifter Analogy: Just like soil being sifted to make room for new roots, the uncomfortable moments in networking refine you for deeper relationships.

• Reframing Awkward Interactions: Even “bad” conversations teach resilience, self-awareness, and better questions to ask next time.

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 $65 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