The Conversation Catalyst – Chronicle #37
Networking With Intent
Welcome back to The Conversation Catalyst, your weekly dose of insight to help you create meaningful conversations, with the people who matter most. I must apologise for the delay with Chronicle 37, there was a problem with Substack and then my domain - anyways, I’ve sorted it now!
This week, we’re diving into the fuel behind every meaningful interaction: Your network. But not just any network, one built with intent.
Because in B2B sales today, random connections don’t cut it. Connections without context are just noise.
If you're a BDR, AE, CS or anywhere in the GTM motion, you’re not just creating pipeline. You’re engineering influence.
This Chronicle is all about:
✅ Building a buyer-centric network with purpose
✅ Turning engagement into insight and insight into conversations
✅ Aligning your network-building with your content and commenting strategy
It’s not about shouting louder. It’s about being remembered for the right reasons.
🧭 COS Playbook: Strategic Networking Starts With Intent
Here’s how the best sellers align their network with their goals:
🔹 Audit Your Focus Accounts
List your top 10–15 accounts. How many meaningful connections do you have in each? Who are you missing? …decision-makers, influencers, blockers? If you're under 10 meaningful connections, you're invisible.
🔹 Map the White Space
Look at department gaps, IT, finance, ops, marketing. Where are the missing voices? Use Sales Nav filters and mutual connections to build a path to those individuals.
🔹 Engage Before You Connect
Comment on their posts, react to their activity, share something relevant they might care about. When your name is familiar, your connection request is welcomed.
🔹 Make Connecting a Habit
Each week, aim to add 5–10 new, relevant connections. Not just titles, people. People who shape decisions, influence outcomes, and multiply your presence.
🔹 Coordinate Across the Team
Use Teamfluence tools to align efforts across sales, CS, and marketing. A connected team is a visible team and visibility breeds familiarity.
BSG’s Take: "Networking with intent is what separates the hopeful from the high-performers. It’s not just who you know, it’s who knows you, and what you stand for."
🚀 Success in Action: Strategic Networking Unlocks Strategic Growth
Meet Amara, a strategic account executive working in a competitive SaaS segment. Rather than simply expanding her connections indiscriminately, she adopted a COS-aligned strategy: connect with intent, build visibility in the feed, and map influence early.
Here’s what Amara did differently:
✅ She prioritised her top 10 accounts, not just based on ICP fit but on active buying signals and partner influence.
✅ She audited each account, identifying which departments were under-represented in her network. She set a goal to add five new meaningful connections each week, focused on decision-makers, champions, and potential blockers.
✅ Amara didn't pitch. She commented, shared relevant posts, and crafted tailored messages that referenced mutual connections or recent content those stakeholders had engaged with.
✅ As her network within those accounts grew, so did her visibility. Her content started getting seen by more of the people who mattered, and that drove DMs, profile views, and, ultimately, conversations.
The result?
Amara converted three of her top 10 focus accounts into qualified pipeline within a single quarter and in all three, her initial conversation didn’t start with a cold outreach. It started with trust already in place.
BSG’s Take:
"Intentional networking doesn’t just improve your chances. It changes the whole game. Amara didn’t find herself in the right place at the right time, she built it."
🔮 Coming Next Week: Signal Seeking & Signal Generation
In Chronicle 38, we explore how to spot and create meaningful buying signals that give you an edge and show your buyers you're tuned into what matters.
From referral ripples to stakeholder shares, you’ll learn how to create and act on the signals that spark real conversations.
👋 Final Words from the Bearded Sales Guy
It’s easy to get caught up in tactics. But let’s not forget, your network isn’t just a number.
It’s your launchpad.
Every connection, every comment, every shared moment in the feed, it’s either moving you closer to a conversation or further from relevance.
So build with intent. Show up with purpose. Make the feed your playground for influence.
Until next week,
The Bearded Sales Guy