Growth Bites: Networking Like a Pro
Building Meaningful Business Connections in the UK
with Daniel Doherty, Community Strategist at DanD.ai
Welcome to Growth Bites, your go-to series for short, sharp, and actionable insights from real experts who know what it takes to grow with clarity and confidence.
Each edition distils practical insights from leading voices in our ecosystem, helping you apply proven strategies directly to your growth journey.
In this episode, Daniel Doherty, community builder, former Meta Community Manager, and startup advisor, shares how to network like a pro by building meaningful, authentic connections in the UK business landscape.
🎯 Networking Starts with Mindset
Before tactics, tools, or platforms, Daniel emphasises one thing: networking starts with how you show up.
To network well, you need to be curious, authentic, and willing to act as a connector. You may not close a deal in your first conversation, but helping someone connect to an idea or another person is what makes you memorable.
Networking becomes easier when you stop trying to extract value and focus instead on creating it.
🗣 Keep Your Elevator Pitch Short and Shareable
One of the most practical tips Daniel shares is around clarity.
Your elevator pitch should be:
30–60 seconds
Free from jargon and acronyms
Easy for someone else to repeat accurately
Simple language helps your message travel. If people understand what you do, they can introduce you to the right connections.
If interest is sparked, be ready with concrete proof: examples, case studies, or results to move from curiosity to credibility.
📣 Tell Your Network What You Do
In the UK, many professionals hesitate to talk openly about their work.
Daniel calls this out directly: if you don’t tell your network who you are, what you do, and what you need help with, they can’t support you.
This doesn’t have to be complicated:
Share your pitch clearly
Use platforms where your audience already is
Don’t be afraid to communicate in different formats, including video
Visibility starts with clarity.
🏛 Events Work Best When You’re Intentional
Daniel draws on decades of experience hosting and attending events to make one point clear: events don’t create value on their own.
Focus on:
Event organisers
Speakers
Recurring communities
Small, well-curated events often create stronger connections than large, crowded ones, especially at senior levels, where time and attention are scarce.
Hosting your own event, even a small one, can also be a powerful way to bring the right people together around a shared topic or challenge.
🤝 Be Present in the Room
Once you’re at an event, how you engage matters.
Daniel highlights a few simple but effective behaviours:
Dress in a way that feels authentic to you
Ask open-ended questions
Listen actively and show genuine interest
Using someone’s name during a conversation can dramatically improve recall. Small details help relationships stick.
🔁 Follow Up to Create Real Opportunities
Many networking efforts fail after the event.
Daniel shares a story where a simple follow-up led to hosting curated events, hundreds of applications, and highly targeted conversations with ideal customers.
The lesson is clear:
Follow up thoughtfully
Reference how you met
Offer value or help
Leave the door open
Consistency and intention matter more than volume.
🔍 Finding the Right Events
When events are hard to discover, especially in niche industries, Daniel recommends:
Following industry leaders and competitors on LinkedIn
Reviewing past events and reconnecting with organisers
Asking your network directly what events you might be missing
Often, the real opportunity isn’t the event itself, but the people behind it.
Key Takeaways
✅ Networking works best when it’s human, not transactional.
✅ Clarity makes your message shareable.
✅ Intentional events create stronger connections.
✅ Presence and listening build trust.
✅ Follow-up turns conversations into opportunities.
You don’t need to master every step at once. This is a framework you can dip into whenever you need it.
Stay tuned for the next edition, more expert insights in the same snackable format!
Navigate to your Next Big Thing.
Whether you’re building a startup, scaling a company, or growing your career — NBT helps you unlock what’s next.