I attended industry meetings, diligently noting trends from presentations. Networking at conferences, I discussed potential collaborations with strategic partners. Business cards, email addresses, and LinkedIn connections accumulated. Every quarter, familiar faces appeared at similar events, but our conversations rarely progressed.

These professional connections were what I call weak bonds. As in it’s not likely a productive relationship yet.

Interested in turning a weak bond into a strong bond? That’s a different level of work.

Later, I understood that business development demands sustained effort, nurturing relationships with equal exchange of information and value. Securing a contract might require 5-10 interactions or more, unless lightning strikes.

Remember, relationship-building takes time—sometimes over a year or more if you are chasing work. Keep this in mind when connecting, especially for business purposes.