A practical guide from Hosted Founder, Courtney Le Borgne, for clinic owners who want better outcomes from every room they walk into
I get asked this all the time. How do you actually get the most out of networking? And don’t you find it intimidating?
The honest answer is this: it is not about confidence, personality or being the most outgoing person in the room, but about being intentional.
Even now, I still find it uncomfortable walking into a room full of people I don’t know. That never really goes away, but what’s changed is how I approach it.
Networking is a skill, and like any skill, the results improve when you have a clear structure behind it.
What follows is not theory. It is what I have learned from being in these rooms consistently, building Hosted, and seeing what actually leads to meaningful relationships and commercial outcomes.
Most people get networking wrong before they even arrive. They show up hoping something useful will happen, without being clear on what they actually need. The result is surface-level conversations that rarely lead anywhere, or they hang out with the only people they know in the room.
The difference comes from preparation.
Before any event, be clear on:
That could be a new device, a new service, better systems, stronger marketing support, or simply learning how others are solving a challenge you are facing.
When you are clear on this, your conversations naturally become more focused and far more valuable.
– Action: Write down three outcomes you want from the event before you arrive. If a conversation does not move you closer to one of them, redirect it.
There is a common misconception that good networking means speaking to as many people as possible. It doesn’t.
Most of the value comes from a small number of high-quality conversations.
The biggest shift for me was moving away from volume and towards intention.
Instead of asking “how many people can I meet?”, ask:
That is where the real opportunities sit.
– Action: Set a target of 3 to 5 meaningful conversations per event. Anything beyond that is a bonus, not the goal.
The quality of what you get out of a conversation is directly linked to the quality of the questions you ask; generic questions lead to generic answers.
If you want insight, you need to ask questions that are specific to your clinic, your goals and your current challenges.
Examples that tend to work well:
Having these ready makes a significant difference, particularly at the start of a conversation.
– Action: Prepare 3 to 5 questions before the event and practise saying them out loud so they feel natural.
One of the biggest shifts I have seen is how people respond to honesty and authenticity.
You do not need to position yourself as further ahead than you are. In fact, doing that often limits the value you get back.
The most useful conversations happen when you are clear on:
People can only support you properly if they understand your reality.
This is particularly important in a room full of experienced clinic owners and suppliers. The more open you are, the more relevant the advice and opportunities become.
People connect with people. Not perfection.
– Action: Be prepared to clearly explain your clinic in 30 seconds. Where you are now, where you want to go and what you need.
Not all networking happens in meetings.
Some of the most valuable conversations happen outside of structured settings. Over dinner, during a break, or even walking between sessions.
These are often the moments where people are more open, less guarded and more willing to share real experiences.
This is why environment matters.
It is also why the best events are designed to create space for these conversations to happen naturally.
– Action: Stay present outside of formal meetings. Some of your most valuable conversations will happen when you are not trying to force them.
Not every conversation will be valuable, and there is a real skill in knowing when to move on.
This can feel uncomfortable, but it is an important part of being intentional with your time.
What matters is how you do it.
Avoid scanning the room while someone is speaking or making it obvious you are disengaged. Instead, confidently and politely excuse yourself.
Something simple works well. You might need to catch someone before they leave, grab a drink, or step away briefly.
Handled well, it shows confidence, not rudeness. I will always intentionally say goodbye to the person I have moved away from before leaving the event.
– Action: Prepare a simple, polite exit line in advance so you can move on without overthinking it in the moment.
This is where most people lose the value, they have great conversations, exchange details, and then do nothing with it.
The real return from networking comes after the event.
Following up shows intent, builds trust and keeps momentum going.
It does not need to be complicated. It just needs to be:
Personally, I follow up on everything I promise as soon as I leave. If I have said I will introduce someone or send something, I do it immediately. It builds trust quickly and keeps the relationship moving.
– Action: Within 48 hours, send a short message referencing your conversation and outlining the next step.
This is one that is often overlooked, but it makes a significant difference.
After any event, there is a huge amount of information to process. Conversations, ideas, introductions, opportunities. It is very easy to follow up on the most obvious or exciting meetings and completely forget the others.
That is where value is lost. Taking the time to capture your thoughts properly ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
Make notes while everything is still fresh:
If you are meeting a high volume of people, simple memory triggers help. I often make quick notes to remind myself who someone is, something distinctive about them, or a personal detail they shared. It might be something as simple as how they looked, or something more meaningful like a life event they mentioned.
Those small details matter.
They make your follow-up more personal, and they help you build a stronger relationship beyond the initial conversation.
– Action: Block 20–30 minutes immediately after the event to capture notes and assign clear actions to each key conversation.
The best relationships are built over time, through consistency and shared value.
Approach networking with a longer-term mindset. Not “what can I get from this person today”, but “could this be a valuable relationship over time”.
This changes how you show up, conversations become more genuine and less transactional and those are the relationships that lead to the biggest opportunities.
– Action: Identify 2 to 3 people from each event you want to stay connected with long term and make a plan to keep in touch.
Networking is not about being the busiest person in the room, it’s about being intentional with every conversation you have.
When you combine clarity, better questions, honesty and strong follow-up, the results change completely.
The opportunities are already in the room. The difference is how you choose to show up, and what you do with them afterwards.
