LinkedIn counts connections. Business is done through relationships.
That distinction sounds obvious. But in practice, few people act on it.
Why we chase breadth instead of depth
There is a logic to it. More connections give more opportunities. Being visible to more people gives more chances for business.
But that logic only holds if the connections are meaningful. And most of them are not.
A LinkedIn connection you have never spoken to is not a relationship. It is a link in a database.
What a real relationship means
A real relationship means the person knows you. Not your title or your company — you. What you are good at, what you care about, how you think.
It means they can recommend you with credibility — not because they have seen your posts, but because they have experience of how you work.
And it means reciprocity. That you invest in them as much as they invest in you.
How relationships are actually built
Not at networking events. Not on LinkedIn. Not in large gatherings.
They are built in individual conversations. In the trust that forms when someone shares a challenge honestly. In delivering what you promise. In making contact not only when you need something.
It takes time. It is not scalable. And that is precisely why it works.
My experience
I 25 år har jag arbetat i en bransch där förtroende är allt. Rekrytering handlar om att hjälpa bolag att fatta beslut som påverkar både organisationen och de individer som berörs.
Nobody hires a recruitment consultant they do not trust. And trust is not built through hundreds of superficial connections.
It is built through deep, long-term relationships with people who genuinely know what you can do and who you are.
That is what I have built my business on. And what I continue to build.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Magdalena Hagström Ståhl
By M Consulting AB
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.