One of the challenges in networking is everybody thinks it’s making cold calls to strangers. Actually, it’s the people who already have strong trust relationships with you, who know you’re dedicated, smart, a team player, who can help you.

Hoffman reframes “networking” away from transactional outreach to unknown contacts and toward the social capital embedded in existing, trust-based relationships. The quote argues that the most effective career leverage often comes from people who have already observed your reliability, competence, and collaborative habits—qualities that make them willing to vouch for you, share opportunities, or make introductions. Implicitly, it critiques the stereotype of networking as superficial schmoozing and instead presents it as the long-term cultivation of reputation and reciprocity. The emphasis on trust suggests that networking is less about volume of contacts than about depth, credibility, and sustained contribution within communities.