Business Networking & Referrals with Faithann Basore

Have you ever watched someone refer a potential client to another business and wondered why they didn’t think of you?

It can sting, especially when you’ve sent opportunities their way. In this episode of Business Networking & Referrals, Faithann Basore shares how to respond with curiosity and use the experience to strengthen your referral relationships.

You’ll learn:

Why a mention or social media tag may not have become a referral

How to follow up and find out what happened with a connection you made

A question you can ask a trusted contact: “What could I do to earn your next referral?”

How clearer referral asks and consistent follow-up can help people feel confident recommending you

Every referral carries a little of the giver’s reputation. When one goes elsewhere, take a moment to learn what you can, then keep building relationships with people who know whom you help and trust you to follow through.

Want help making your ideal referral easier to recognize? Book a discovery call with Faithann to talk about your networking pitch and whether a Pitch Strategy Session is a fit for your business.

Book your discovery call here.

What should you do when someone sends you a referral that simply isn’t a good fit?

Turning down the opportunity may be necessary, but how you handle the person who referred them can either strengthen or weaken an important relationship.

In this episode, Faithann shares how to respond to a bad referral with gratitude, clarity, and care. You’ll learn why it’s your responsibility to teach your network what does and does not make a good referral, how to explain that you couldn’t help without overexplaining, and how to guide the referral partner towards better-fit opportunities in the future.

You’ll learn:

A bad referral doesn’t have to damage a valuable relationship. Handled well, it can become an opportunity to build trust and help someone refer you more confidently next time.

Would this episode help someone in your network navigate a bad referral? Share it with them so you can both become the current of the lazy river that draws and keeps the right people close.

Want to receive better-fit referrals from your network?

Schedule a Discovery Call to explore how The Networker’s Tour Guide can support you.

Are you making it easy for the people in your networking group to recognize and connect you with the right referrals?

In this episode of Business Networking and Referrals, Faithann coaches Denise Maples, owner of Backbone Operations, through creating a clearer and more effective networking pitch.

Together, they turn a broad request for “any business owner who needs a virtual assistant” into a specific picture of the client Denise can help, the problem that person may be experiencing and the words a referral partner can use to introduce her naturally.

You’ll learn:

When you paint a clear picture, your network can recognize more opportunities for you. Start narrow, and the people listening can broaden the possibilities from there.

Connect with Denise Maples and Backbone Operations:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisemaples

Website: https://backboneops.net

Schedule a Discovery Call with Denise: https://schedule.backboneops.net/discovery-call

Ready to make it easier for your network to recognize and refer the right people to you?

Book a Discovery Call with Faithann to talk about where your networking and referral strategy may need more clarity:

 FAITHANN’S DISCOVERY CALL LINK

What do the organizers of networking groups wish you knew before you walked through the door?

In this episode, Faithann shares honest advice from several successful networking organization leaders about what actually helps business owners build meaningful relationships and earn referrals.

You’ll hear why the networking meeting itself is only the first step, why you do not need to speak to everyone in the room, and how a few genuine conversations can lead to stronger, more personal follow-up.

You’ll also learn:

The business owners who organize networking events want you to succeed. Their advice makes one thing clear: showing up matters, but what you do after the meeting is where relationships, referrals, and opportunities begin to grow.

Ready to become a stronger resource for the people in your network? Schedule a discovery call with Faithann to explore whether a coaching session could help you use your networking time more intentionally and get more people talking about your business.

Book your discovery call here.

Featured networking leaders:

Are you showing people that you are a valuable resource, even when they are not ready or able to hire you?

The business owners who build strong networks and earn referrals understand that resourcefulness should not be reserved only for paying clients. When you help people, share what you know, and create opportunities for others, you give them meaningful reasons to remember you and mention your name in rooms you are not in.

In this solo episode, Faithann shares two important areas to audit when your network is not growing. You will learn how small etiquette mistakes may be quietly turning people away and how becoming a resource can help you build trust, strengthen relationships, and create more referral opportunities.

Faithann discusses:

You will also leave with a practical networking exercise: identify five types of professionals you wish your clients knew before working with you and five they may need afterward. Then begin building the relationships that allow you to confidently make those introductions.

When you become someone who consistently helps people move forward, you become someone they remember, trust, and recommend.

Learn how to talk about your business naturally in networking meetings, volunteer settings, community events, and everyday conversations. The Curiosity Workshop includes four weeks of instruction followed by in-person and virtual conversation practice.

You can join from anywhere.

The first class begins Friday, September 4. Registration is $125 and closes on Tuesday Aug. 1st.

Register for the Curiosity Workshop here.

What should you say during your 60-second networking pitch so people know exactly who to refer to you?

In this coaching episode, Faithann works with Dirk Neitzel, founder of ThinkBiz Referral Clubs, to build a networking pitch that does more than describe his organization. Together, they create language that helps people recognize an ideal referral, introduce ThinkBiz without criticizing other networking options, and confidently take the next step.

Dirk also shares how ThinkBiz grew from one referral club to eight across the Oklahoma City metro and why in-person networking remains so powerful in an increasingly digital world.

You’ll learn:

• How to make one business the “star” of your networking pitch when you own multiple businesses

Dirk’s ideal referral is not simply a business owner who wants more referrals. It is someone who wants a core group of referral partners they can get to know, support, and confidently refer to others.

Whether you are writing your first elevator pitch, refining your weekly networking presentation, or trying to generate more business referrals, this episode will help you give your networking partners language they can actually remember and use.

Learn more about ThinkBiz Referral Clubs, including club locations, meeting times, current members, and available industry seats:

https://thinkbiz.solutions

Need help creating a 60-second networking pitch that makes your ideal referral easier to recognize?

Schedule a discovery call here: Discovery Call with Faithann 

Would you rather create your referral-driving pitch in a supportive group setting?

Join the Creating Credibility Workshop to develop a 60-second networking pitch that clearly communicates who you help, makes your ideal referrals easier to recognize, and gives your networking partners language they can confidently use to introduce you.

Learn more and register: Creating Credibility Workshop

Networking can bring referrals, relationships, opportunities, and clients into your business.

It can also bring no-shows, bad referrals, awkward mistakes, criticism, and a whole lot of “no.”

In this episode of Business Networking and Referrals, we’re talking about the emotional resilience required to stay in the networking game for the long haul.

Because some things are simply inevitable.

You’ll probably get stood up for a one-to-one. You may double-book yourself and have to apologize. Eventually, someone may send you a referral that’s a terrible fit. Someone may misunderstand you or even speak poorly about you. And when you keep putting yourself and your business out there, you’re going to hear no.

But guess what?

There’s another side to what’s inevitable.

You’ll be mentioned in rooms you aren’t in.

You could be one introduction away from one of the best clients you’ve ever had.

You’ll receive messages from people telling you that your work made a difference.

People will trust you enough to share what’s really going on.

And along with all those no’s, you’re going to get some pretty incredible yeses.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

Why expecting some networking disappointments can make them easier to handle

When to give someone who stands you up a second chance

The right way to handle it when you’re the one who has to reschedule

How to respond when someone sends you a bad referral

What to remember when you hear that someone has spoken poorly about you

Why you don’t have to take sides when two networking relationships collide

How to keep issuing invitations without becoming attached to the answer

Why learning to forgive yourself is part of becoming a more resilient networker

Networking means building relationships with humans, and humans are sometimes messy. The goal isn’t to network perfectly. It’s to keep moving your conversations, your relationships, and yourself forward.

The Creating Curiosity Workshop begins September 4th.

You’ll learn how to answer the questions you already get asked in networking conversations in ways that help people lean in, ask more, and become genuinely curious about what you do.

The workshop includes four virtual trainings, an in-person practice session for those in the Oklahoma City area, and a virtual practice session the following week, so you can participate from anywhere.

Join the Creating Curiosity Workshop

Go and network, my friends. Keep moving forward. Keep moving your conversations forward. Keep moving your relationships forward. And practice forgiving yourself.

Have you ever been asked a question at a networking event and suddenly felt like you had to prove you belonged in the room?

For newer business owners, introverts, or anyone who struggles with imposter syndrome, even common networking questions like “What sets you apart?” or “How long have you been in business?” can feel more like a quiz than the beginning of a conversation.

In this episode of Business Networking and Referrals, Faithann shares a different way to approach those moments.

Instead of searching for the technically perfect answer, you'll learn how to make the star of your answer something you feel comfortable and proud to say.

Faithann shares two common networking questions that can trigger imposter syndrome and shows you how to answer them in a way that creates a better conversation.

You'll learn:

You don't have to tap dance your way through every networking conversation with the perfect answer.

You get to decide what the star of your answer will be.

The next Creating Curiosity Workshop begins Friday, September 4.

During four weeks of virtual training plus a practice session, you'll learn how to become a better listener, give stronger answers to common networking questions, and create curiosity about your business without slipping into auto-reply.

Investment: $125

Join the waitlist to be the first to know when registration opens, receive a bonus resource, and get access to the pre-workshop welcome call.

Creating Curiosity Waitlist

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

What if the biggest reason your podcast isn't growing has nothing to do with your content?

In this episode of Business Networking & Referrals, Faithann Basore sits down with podcast growth expert Adam Schaeuble, founder of Podcasting Business School, to uncover one of the most overlooked strategies in podcasting: making your show searchable.

Adam shares how a simple name change transformed his own podcast from struggling for downloads to becoming one of the most recognized podcasting shows in his niche. You'll also hear the story behind why Faithann renamed her own podcast—and the results that followed.

Whether you're just launching a podcast or looking to grow an existing one, this conversation is packed with practical, easy-to-implement strategies that can help more of the right listeners find your show.

"We can't have business-level goals with hobby-level effort." -Adam Schaeuble

Connect with Faithann

Episode 89 | Business Networking & Referrals Podcast

How do you make your elevator pitch memorable when you're in an industry where everyone says the same thing?

In this live coaching episode, Faithann Basore works with REALTOR® Michelle Spurlock of Spearhead Realty to transform a broad referral request into a clear picture of the exact client she's looking for.

Instead of asking for "anyone buying or selling," Michelle discovers how to help her networking partners recognize the conversations that happen long before someone ever asks for a Realtor.

You'll also hear the answer Michelle developed to one of the hardest networking questions:

"What makes you different?"

Whether you're in real estate or any service-based business, this coaching session will help you become easier to remember, easier to refer, and more confident in the way you talk about your business.

⭐ Why "anyone buying or selling" is one of the weakest referral asks.

⭐ How to build an elevator pitch around one star instead of a star-studded list of services.

⭐ Why your networking partners need to know what people are already saying before they realize they need you.

⭐ How to teach people to listen for referral opportunities instead of waiting for someone to ask for a recommendation.

⭐ A practical strategy for answering the question:

⭐ How setting healthy boundaries can actually make clients trust you more.

⭐ Why life changes often create better referral opportunities than asking who needs your service today.

⭐ A simple conversation strategy that naturally leads people toward talking about buying or selling a home.

📧 mDiscovery Call to explore how a customized Pitch Strategy Session can help you confidently describe what you do, attract better referrals, and make your conversations more memorable.

🌐 The Networker's Tour Guide

💬 Premium OKC Networking, Faithann's online community