The Value of Bringing a Good Guest

The Value of a Good Guest

We often talk about networking as though it’s about who you meet. But at Interact, I’d argue that it’s just as much about who you bring.

One of the things that makes Interact distinct is its structure: small, exclusive groups of senior professionals who meet regularly, over years. Membership isn’t easy to obtain and that’s deliberate. When something’s hard to get, you value it. And when you spend time with the same 20 or so people, something rare happens: you build trust. You move beyond introductions and start to understand how people think, work, and lead.

Now layer guests into that structure.

Most people assume the opportunity lies in getting to know their guest or introducing them to the group. And that’s true, to a point. But there’s something subtler, and more powerful, happening underneath!

When you bring a client as a guest – especially someone you’ve worked with before – you’re doing more than networking. You’re being endorsed.

Think about it: 20 people in the room have the chance to hear your guest speak about you. They see the relationship. They pick up the respect, the rapport, the real-world outcomes. You’re no longer just describing what you do – they’re hearing it first-hand from someone who’s paid you to do it, and come back for more – That’s third-party validation which in business is gold.

No sales pitch you deliver will ever carry as much weight as hearing your client casually say, “Oh, we’ve worked with them for years – they’re brilliant.” Suddenly, the room doesn’t just know your name. They trust it.

Now imagine if every member brought guests with that level of intent – not prospecting, but paying it forward. Sharing trusted collaborators, former clients, long-standing colleagues. The result? An entire room that becomes more informed, more connected, more able to refer and recommend each other with confidence.

Now,  that’s just at a local level. When you scale this up with regional or national events,  the potential grows exponentially. A network of people who don’t just know each other, but know who each other knows. A web of live testimonials, unfolding in real time, one lunch at a time.

So next time you’re thinking about who to invite, don’t just ask, “Who do I want to win work from?” Ask, “Who knows me well enough to say something good about me, in a room full of peers?”

Because at Interact, the guest you bring could end up being your greatest endorsement.