EdugineBrowse lessons
Sign up

Lesson

C1EN

Networking & Building Relationships

Move beyond transactional networking and learn how to build genuine professional relationships that last. From first impressions and small talk to LinkedIn strategy and cross-cultural relationship building, this lesson develops the vocabulary and confidence B2-C1 professionals need to connect meaningfully. A practical B2-C1 Business English lesson on professional networking, relationship building, and business communication. Ideal for professionals, Business English tutors.

8 Activities
1

Your Networking Story

Talk Time

Shared
  1. Describe a professional connection that genuinely helped your career. How did it start?
  2. Have you ever been to a networking event that felt completely fake or uncomfortable? What made it feel that way?
  3. Do you find it easier to network online or in person — and why?
  4. Is there someone in your professional life you've lost touch with and wish you hadn't? What happened?
  5. How do you usually start a conversation with someone you've never met at a professional event?
  6. Do you think introverts can be good at networking — or is it naturally easier for extroverts?
2

Tom Friel: How to Network

Content Block

Individual
Watch video

Discussion questions

  1. Friel speaks from experience placing senior executives. Which of his networking strategies do you think is most underused by professionals at your level?
  2. He emphasises maintaining relationships over time, not just building them when you need something. How do you currently keep in touch with your professional network — and is it enough?
  3. Which piece of his advice would you actually commit to doing differently after this lesson?
  • According to Friel, the best time to start networking is when you need a new job.False
  • Maintaining existing relationships is just as important as building new ones.True
  • Friel suggests that networking should feel natural and not transactional.True
  • Quantity of connections matters more than the quality of relationships in professional networking.False
3

The Language of Professional Relationships

Swipe Battle

Individual

  • Rapport

    A feeling of mutual trust and understanding that develops between two people over time

  • Weak ties

    Connections with people you know well and interact with regularly

  • Cold outreach

    Contacting someone you have no prior relationship with to introduce yourself or make a request

  • Transactional networking

    Building relationships based on genuine long-term mutual interest rather than immediate personal gain

  • Elevator pitch

    A short, compelling introduction to who you are and what you do

  • Personal brand

    The professional reputation and image you deliberately cultivate in your field

  • Gatekeeping

    Generously introducing people in your network to each other when they could benefit

  • Mutual connection

    A person both you and someone else know, who can facilitate an introduction

  • Follow-up

    A formal written contract confirming the terms of a professional introduction

  • Small talk

    Light, informal conversation used to build initial rapport before discussing business

  • Thought leadership

    Sharing valuable expertise publicly to build credibility and visibility in your field

  • Mentorship

    A developmental relationship where a more experienced person supports someone less experienced

4

How Real Professional Relationships Are Built

Jigsaw Reading

Individual

Fragment A: The Weak Ties Paradox

Most people assume their closest professional contacts — colleagues, close friends, former managers — are their most valuable network. Research by sociologist Mark Granovetter showed the opposite. It is the "weak ties" — people you know only slightly, who move in different circles — that are most likely to connect you to new opportunities, information, and perspectives. Strong ties share what you already know. Weak ties open doors you didn't know existed.

Fragment B: Give Before You Take

The most effective networkers are not the ones who ask the most — they are the ones who give the most. Sharing useful information, making introductions, offering help before being asked: these behaviours build social capital that accumulates quietly over time. The instinct to ask for something before you have given anything is the single most common reason networking feels transactional — to both the person doing it and the person on the receiving end.

Fragment C: Consistency Builds Relationships, Not Events

Most people think of networking as something that happens at events. Research on relationship building suggests the opposite: brief, regular contact over a long period builds stronger bonds than intense interaction at a single meeting. A quick message when you read something relevant, a congratulatory note when someone achieves something, a check-in after a conversation: these small gestures, repeated consistently, are what actually create lasting professional relationships.

Fragment D: Authenticity Is the Differentiator

In an era of LinkedIn connection requests and generic follow-up emails, the one thing that consistently builds genuine relationships is authenticity — showing genuine curiosity about the other person's work, being honest about your own, and communicating in a way that reflects who you actually are rather than who you think you should be. People are remarkably good at detecting when someone is performing connection rather than making it. Authenticity is not a soft skill; it is the hardest and most valuable skill in professional relationship building.

Comprehension questions

  1. The first fragment says "weak ties" are more valuable than strong ones for professional opportunities. Does that match your own experience — or have your closest contacts been more important?
  2. The second fragment says giving before asking is the key to effective networking. What's the most valuable thing you could offer to someone in your professional network right now?
  3. The fourth fragment says authenticity is the hardest networking skill. What does "authentic" professional communication look like to you — and what does it definitely not look like?
5

Networking Language in Context

Word Choice

Individual
  • I'd love to introducereferrecommendconnect you to a colleague of mine — I think you two would have a lot to talk about.
  • She built her publicsocialpersonalonline brand by consistently sharing insights about supply chain trends on LinkedIn over three years.
  • Could you put me in contactreachconnectiontouch with the head of their innovation team? I think there's a real opportunity there.
  • The key to a good networkingsalespersonalelevator pitch is making it memorable in under 30 seconds — who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
  • I always checkconnectreachfollow up within 48 hours of meeting someone new — a short message referencing something specific from our conversation.
  • Rather than cold outreachcallingnetworkingmessaging, I prefer to ask for a warm introduction through someone we both know.
  • Building genuine trustbrandcontactrapport takes time — it's not something you can rush in a single meeting, even a good one.
6

Your Networking Pitch

Elevator Pitch

Individual

Useful phrases

  1. I work with... and I'm particularly interested in...
  2. One thing I'm currently exploring is...
  3. I came across your work on... and it really resonated because...
  4. I'd love to find a time to exchange ideas about...
  5. What's taking up most of your thinking right now?

  • Introduce yourself to someone at a professional conference in your industry

    You have 30 seconds before the next speaker starts. Make them remember you.

  • Reach out to someone you admire on LinkedIn

    You want to connect genuinely — not just add a contact. Make your message worth reading.

  • Reconnect with someone you haven't spoken to in two years

    You want to restart the relationship without it feeling awkward or transactional.

7

The Networking Dilemma

Roleplay Quest

Individual

Scenario

You are both attending a high-stakes industry dinner with senior leaders from companies you'd genuinely like to work with or partner with. You have one evening to make connections that actually lead somewhere — without coming across as opportunistic or transactional.

  • Senior Professional (10+ years experience)

    You know almost everyone in the room and have significant social capital. You're selective about who you invest time in — you can tell immediately whether someone is networking for gain or genuine connection.

    Secret goal: Be warm but discerning. Give the other person a real opportunity to impress you — but don't make it easy. You've seen every networking script before.

  • Ambitious Mid-Career Professional

    You know this room could change your career trajectory. You have something genuinely valuable to offer — expertise, a fresh perspective, a useful connection — but you tend to oversell yourself when nervous.

    Secret goal: Focus on giving, not getting. Ask questions. Listen more than you talk. Your goal is one genuine conversation, not ten business cards.

  • Independent Consultant (new to the industry)

    You're relatively unknown in this room but highly capable. You need to build credibility quickly without appearing desperate.

    Secret goal: Lead with curiosity and specific knowledge. Reference something real you've read or done. Do not pitch your services unless directly asked.

  • Event Organiser (knows everyone)

    You're the unofficial connector in the room. Your value is in who you know and your willingness to make introductions.

    Secret goal: Introduce people generously and specifically — not just "you two should talk" but "Sarah, meet James — he's done exactly the kind of work you were describing earlier." Your goal is to leave everyone better connected than when they arrived.

8

Networking Dilemmas

Speed Debate

Shared

Useful phrases

  1. I think the key distinction here is...
  2. In my experience, the most effective networkers...
  3. The problem with that view is...
  4. That depends on whether you define networking as...
  5. You could argue the opposite — that...
  6. Authentically speaking...
  7. The research on this actually suggests...
  1. Is it ever truly possible to network without some element of self-interest — or is genuine altruism in networking a myth?
  2. Should professionals be expected to network outside working hours, or is that an unreasonable demand on personal time?
  3. Is LinkedIn a genuine networking tool — or mostly a place for performative professional theatre?
  4. Do introverts need to adapt to extrovert networking norms, or should the definition of good networking change?
  5. Is it ethical to build a relationship with someone primarily because they might be useful to you one day?
  6. Does strong networking ability unfairly advantage people who are charming and socially confident over those who are simply excellent at their work?
Use this lesson with your students → Sign up freeSign in