If You Hate Networking, Read This
How Relationships, Not Tactics, Can Create Real Influence
Every February, more than 4,000 franchising professionals travel to Las Vegas for the IFA Annual Convention. They come to learn, to reconnect with familiar faces, to meet future partners, and to get a glimpse of where the industry is headed next. The sessions are packed, the show floor is buzzing, and calendars quickly fill with meetings, receptions, and chance hallway conversations. Beneath all the programming and polish, there is one shared undercurrent. For many people, networking is both the reason they come and the part they quietly dread the most.
When you walk into a room, what is the first thing running through your mind?
Is it:
Do they like me?
Do I sound smart enough?
Do I belong here?
That is “Here I am” energy, inward-focused, heavy, and full of pressure. Every interaction feels like a test.
Or is it:
I am glad you are here.
I wonder what your story is.
How can I help you feel comfortable?
That is “There you are” energy, outward-focused, generous, and immediately uplifting for everyone in the room.
Same room, same people, completely different experience.
Networking at IFA is not about being impressive. It is about how you show up before, during, and after every conversation. Shifting from “Here I am” to “There you are” lowers pressure, builds trust, and opens the door to genuine connections.
I once heard a speaker say something that stopped me in my tracks:
Everyone brings joy into a room.
Some people bring joy when they enter.
Some people bring joy when they leave.
That was a mic-drop moment. Joy is not accidental, it is a choice. Now, before I speak to anyone, I quietly decide: I want to bring joy when I enter, not just when I leave.
That mindset alone changes everything.
From Mindset to Practice
Shifting your posture is the first step. But most people are still silently asking: What do I actually say once I am there?
Even with the right mindset, conversations can feel awkward if you do not have a starting point. That is why having some structure makes showing up feel possible instead of paralyzing.
One of the most practical tools I have ever used is the FORD framework:
Family
Occupation
Recreation
Dreams
This is not a script, it is a safety net. When your mind goes blank, FORD gives you four easy lanes to move the conversation forward without forcing it.
You do not need to cover all four, one is enough to get started.
Family questions might include:
Where are you based?
Did you travel here alone or with your team?
How did you end up in this city or brand?
Occupation is often easiest, especially in franchising:
How long have you been with your company?
What is your role?
What does your day-to-day look like?
Recreation helps make the conversation human:
What do you like to do outside of work?
Have you had a chance to enjoy the city yet?
What do you do to recharge?
Dreams often create the deepest connection:
What are you hoping to get out of IFA?
What are you most excited about right now?
Where do you want your business to be in a few years?
In franchising, the barrier is even lower. Everyone wears a name tag, everyone has a role, and everyone has a brand. These cues give natural conversation starters, and the questions feel comfortable because people already know the answers. FORD does not make networking transactional, it makes it manageable and meaningful.
Small Behaviors That Make a Big Difference
Even with the right mindset and conversation framework, networking can stall if your physical behavior works against you. Where you place yourself in a room quietly determines whether conversations happen at all.
One of the easiest traps at conferences is isolation:
Staying in your room until sessions start
Walking with your eyes down
Standing against the wall scrolling your phone
Instead, stand at a tabletop where people are gathered, introduce yourself first, extend your hand, and say, “I am ____. Tell me about your company.”
That single sentence shifts the dynamic instantly, people feel comfortable because they are talking about something familiar.
If networking feels exhausting, set simple goals:
Meet three people
Have five conversations
Stay for twenty minutes
Consistency beats intensity every time.
Why This Matters in Franchising
All of these approaches, mindset, conversation, and behavior, matter in every industry. But in franchising, they matter more. Relationships here do not just support the work, they are the work.
Reputations travel fast. Introductions matter. Trust compounds. And the data backs it up:
Nearly 80 percent of professionals say networking is important to career success
About 70 percent of people were hired at a company where they already had a connection
Experts estimate 50 to 80 percent of opportunities are never publicly advertised and are accessed through relationships
That is why programs like the Ambassador Program and Franship initiatives through the International Franchise Association exist, to accelerate learning, opportunity, and growth through connection.
Show up consistently, help without selling, and influence follows quietly.
What Real Influence Looks Like
Influence is not about loud voices or follower count. It is about trust built over time.
True influencers:
Show up again and again
Give value without expectation
Make introductions generously
Do not rush relationships
They are not always trying to get business, they are trying to help you win.
As Laura Meyer writes in Win Win: How to Create Mutually Beneficial Relationships That Grow Your Business:
“Real influence isn’t earned through visibility or follower count. It’s earned by showing up again and again with generosity, integrity, and service.”
Habits That Make Networking Sustainable
One great conversation does not build influence. Consistent presence does. That is why I track networking as a KPI:
Conversations had
People met
Follow-ups made
Not to pressure myself, but to ensure I stay outward-focused. Business flows through relationships, not around them, so relationships deserve attention.
A Word to Founders Just Starting Out
If you are new to franchising or any relationship-driven industry:
Do not wait until you feel confident
Do not wait for the perfect pitch
Do not wait until you think you belong
Show up curious, show up generous, show up willing to help. Attend events where conversations happen, not just sessions. Sign up for programs designed to connect you. Be the person who makes someone else feel welcome.
You do not need to be the loudest voice. You just need to be present.
The Quiet Truth About Networking
Networking is not about collecting contacts. It is about creating comfort. It is not about what you can get, it is about who you can serve. Influence is the natural byproduct of trust built over time through genuine connection.
Shine Lesson Learned
The most powerful relationships are built long before you need anything. Walk into rooms with curiosity instead of comparison, generosity instead of agenda, and presence instead of pressure. When you do, trust has space to grow, networking stops feeling transactional, and influence happens quietly, over time, by consistently showing up for others.
Shine on,
Shannon
