Socializing is the beginning. Networking is what comes next.

One of the things I hear most often is: "I'm not good at networking." Or even: "I hate networking events." And honestly, I understand why.

For many people, networking has become associated with awkward conversations, forced introductions, and the feeling that everyone is trying to sell something.

You arrive at an event and within the first few minutes, someone asks:

• What do you do?

• How many employees do you have?

• How can i help you?

• How can we collaborate?

The conversation feels transactional before it has even become human. And that, in my opinion, is where many people get networking wrong. Because networking does not start with business. It starts with people.

The Biggest Misconception About Networking

Many networking experts teach that you should enter a room with a clear objective, identify the right people, and start strategic conversations as quickly as possible.

While strategy certainly matters, I believe something important happens before strategy: The Connection.

Before people buy from you, trust you, collaborate with you, recommend you, or invest in your ideas, they need to connect with you as a person. That connection rarely happens through standard networking questions. It happens through genuine conversations. It happens when people stop being job titles and become human beings.

Why Socializing Matters

Some people see socializing as a waste of time at business events.

I see it differently: Socializing is not a distraction from networking. It is the very thing that makes networking possible.

We often underestimate the power of seemingly ordinary conversations. A discussion about a recent trip. A story about someone's children. A shared passion for music, books, sports, or adventure.

On the surface, these conversations may appear unrelated to business. But beneath them, something far more important is happening. Walls begin to come down. People stop performing. They stop speaking as CEOs, founders, managers, or consultants. And for a brief moment, they simply become human.

That is where real connection begins. Because the strongest business relationships are rarely built on what someone does. They are built on who someone is. On shared values. Shared experiences. Shared beliefs. On feeling understood.

Over the years, I have learned that people open up when they feel genuinely seen. Not for their position. Not for their influence. Not for what they might be able to offer. But for who they are beyond the business card.

The entrepreneur who is struggling with self-doubt. The executive trying to balance career and family. The founder chasing a dream nobody else can see yet. When we connect with that person, rather than their title, conversations become more meaningful, relationships become more authentic, and trust develops naturally.

And trust is what every opportunity, partnership, recommendation, and collaboration is ultimately built upon. Because people do business with people. Not with job titles. Not with company logos. Not with LinkedIn profiles. With people.

The Person Behind the Business

In over 15 years of organizing events and building professional communities, I've had the privilege of meeting entrepreneurs, CEOs, executives, diplomats, investors, artists, and professionals from every conceivable background.

And despite everything that separates them, they share one thing in common: they want to be seen as people first. Not as opportunities. Not as potential clients. Not as transactions.

There is a meaningful difference between asking "What is your company's turnover?" and asking "What excites you most about what you're building?"

One question gives you information. The other opens a conversation. And conversations — real ones — are where relationships are born.

My Personal Networking Philosophy

After years of connecting people intentionally, I've developed a simple but deeply-held approach: I rarely start with business.

Instead, I begin with curiosity. Who is this person beyond their LinkedIn profile? What motivates them? What challenges are they navigating? What matters most to them right now?

Business comes later — and when it does, it arrives naturally. Because by that point, a relationship already exists. There is trust. There is genuine interest. There is a foundation.

Business becomes the consequence of the relationship, not the starting point.

The Formula Most People Skip

The greatest mistake we make is treating socializing and networking as separate activities — or worse, treating socializing as something to get through before the real work begins.

In reality, the path looks like this: Socializing → Connection → Trust → Relationship → Opportunity → Business

When we skip the first steps and jump straight to business, everything feels forced — because it is.

When we invest in human connection first, everything that follows becomes not just easier, but more authentic.

A Final Thought

We live in a world where people are more connected than ever — and yet genuine connection feels increasingly rare.

Perhaps that's precisely why the most successful networkers aren't necessarily the most polished or persuasive people in the room. They're the ones who make others feel seen, heard, and genuinely valued. The ones who remember names. The ones who listen. The ones who care.

Because networking doesn't begin when you exchange business cards. It begins when two people decide to have a real conversation.

Socializing is the beginning. Networking is what comes next.

Crina Diculescu is a Business Matchmaker and Networking Strategist based in Bucharest, founder of Stand Up Networking and Dynamic Business Connections. She organizes 90+ events per year and works with entrepreneurs and corporations to build meaningful professional communities.