Superficial digital connections have created a paradox for modern professionals, they are more networked than ever but lack genuine influence. The secret to building a powerful network is not about collecting contacts, but about composing relationships.
On a recent episode of The Go-to-Market Podcast, host Amy Osmond Cook, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Fullcast, sat down with David Homan, President and Founder of SOAR Connect. Drawing from his unique background as a classical composer, Homan provides a proven methodology for trust-based networking.
His framework serves as the foundation for measuring the strength of authentic relationships, a concept he’s operationalizing with his new platform, SOAR Connect. By shifting from a transactional mindset to one rooted in curiosity, generosity, and equity, professionals can orchestrate connections that generate real opportunities. This approach moves beyond simple contact mapping to help you build a network of true advocates and democratize opportunity for all.
Why Your Current Networking Strategy Is Failing
The most valuable connections are not found; they are built over years through a chain of trusted relationships. Despite having thousands of digital contacts, many professionals feel more isolated than ever, a contradiction David Homan has observed through his decade of running a private community of super connectors.
More Contacts, Less Trust
As Homan explains, “Social media has connected people, but not with trust. We have loneliness actually amplified by it… all of the big tech, which have done monumental work to connect us together, it’s all consolidated onto one device, which is our phone, and nothing synthesizes it all.”
The metrics that platforms celebrate say almost nothing about relationship quality. A LinkedIn connection or an Instagram follower count reveals nothing about whether someone would actually answer your call. This disconnect between perceived connection and actual trust creates a networking environment where quantity consistently trumps quality.
Why Cold Asks Rarely Work and the Myth of the Right Introduction
Everyone wants a shortcut. The direct line to the CHRO, the warm intro to the key buyer in a target account. But valuable introductions rarely happen that way.
“The right intro, the one you’ve been waiting for, generally takes about two to five years to make and three to five people in the chain of connections to get there.”
– David Homan, President and Founder of SOAR Connect.
This timeline challenges the instant-gratification mindset that pervades modern networking. The most transformative introductions are rarely direct. They emerge from a carefully cultivated chain of trusted relationships, each link strengthening the connection that follows.
Moving From a Taker’s Mindset to a Giver’s Framework
Most networking interactions follow a predictable pattern. Someone reaches out, makes small talk, then pivots to their ask. This transactional approach fails because it ignores a fundamental insight Homan discovered while building relationships with industry leaders.
“Most people in a position of power never get gratitude or thanks. They rarely get asked for what they need,” Homan observes. By inverting the typical approach and asking what others need first, he built a network that unlocks access to previously unreachable decision-makers. This go-giver philosophy creates a foundation of trust that eventually accelerates opportunities.
Principles For Orchestrating Authentic Connections
Authentic networking is not about strategic maneuvering, it is about demonstrating that you listen, care, and act with generosity. Homan’s framework begins with simple principles that set the stage for meaningful exchange.
Principle 1: Lead With Curiosity
Effective connectors demonstrate genuine interest in others rather than showcasing accomplishments. Approaching conversations with a desire to learn creates an opening for a real relationship.
Principle 2: Embrace Vulnerability
“You don’t have to be strategic, you don’t have to showboat,” Homan advises. “You just have to show that you listen and you care enough to build enough trust so that they can then come back to you.” When you approach interactions without pretense, you signal that an authentic connection is possible.
Principle 3: Practice Radical Generosity
At the heart of trust-based networking lies a simple but powerful belief: trust is built on action. “Trust is based on action. That’s the only thing I believe that actually earns trust,” Homan states. “Otherwise, it’s a world full of empty promises and failed attempts.” The most powerful action is helping someone without calculating the return.
Principle 4: Express Gratitude
Equally important is expressing genuine gratitude when others help you. These behaviors are surprisingly rare, which makes them extraordinarily effective. When Homan sent a simple thank-you message to a CEO after an event, the response was disbelief that someone would express appreciation without an accompanying ask.
Principle 5: Intentionally Cultivate a Diverse Network
The final principle prevents the echo chambers that limit opportunity. A diverse network provides access to perspectives, solutions, and connections that homogeneous groups cannot offer, uncovering new market segments and unseen risks. “The more diverse your network… the more opportunity strategically your network brings you,” Homan explains.
This is where a community-led motion shows its power. As Guy Rubin shared on The Go-to-Market Podcast, “When we’re getting leads from recommendation or from partners or through community, it’s come from a trusted source. And we see average deal size is higher, and time to close is lower, and win rates are higher.”
How Technology Can Measure and Augment Trust
True relationship intelligence moves beyond counting contacts to measure the actual strength and context of professional connections. Homan’s background as a composer shaped his unique approach to measuring relationships, focusing on engagement over time rather than static connections.
Measuring the Strength of Authentic Relationships
“The way that you measure a successful piece of music is the amount of time you can engage somebody to be focused on it, and then how long it is from end of the piece to their reaction,” he explains.
This insight led to the development of the SOAR score, or Strength of Authentic Relationships. Rather than counting connections, this metric analyzes the frequency and duration of interactions over years. It examines what happens “when you’ve had regularly for 10 years, an hour-long call, or a two-hour-long lunch every three months.” The result is a baseline that reveals who would actually pick up the phone when you call.
Using AI to Map Trust, Not Just Contacts
SOAR Connect represents a fundamentally different approach to relationship technology that prioritizes privacy. “We as a company will never see, own, sell, or use any of the data,” Homan emphasizes. “Each user has their own moat, their own castle, where their data would just be yours.”
This privacy-first design enables a system of opt-in consent that mirrors how trust builds in the real world. Users cannot cold message others; instead, the technology facilitates warm introductions through established trust chains. This approach provides true AI relationship intelligence by understanding the strength of connections.
How Stronger Relationships Translate to Better Deal Health
The principles of trust-based networking connect directly to revenue outcomes. When you have a high SOAR score with a champion inside a target account, you have a reliable internal advocate. This improves qualification, creates more honest conversations, and drives higher win rates. Understanding the connection between deal health and win rate becomes critical for accurate forecasting and predictable revenue.
Building With Purpose to Democratize Opportunity
An equitable system of networking elevates people based on merit and passion, not just their existing privilege. Behind the methodology and technology lies a mission to level the playing field. “I am disgusted by the amount of opportunity that come to those who don’t deserve it,” Homan states. “And I think that those in this world, especially minorities, women, and people of color, those from lesser means are the ones that are probably going to actually change the world for the better.”
Architecting a System For Equitable Access
This vision extends beyond helping individuals network more effectively. The goal is to create technology that elevates people based on their merits, needs, and passions. For RevOps leaders, this means building go-to-market teams where the best ideas and talent can surface, regardless of background.
From Individual Networks to Impactful Communities
The broader application of trust-based networking extends to any community with a common purpose. Whether helping a school fundraising committee find the right bank connection or empowering networks of women investors, the goal remains consistent: leverage collective trust to achieve meaningful outcomes. “I want to build a tech so everyone can use it better and have it work for them better than for me,” Homan declares. “I think it’s about time.”
From Composer to Connector and Your Networking Scorecard
The art of connection, much like composing music, requires patience, intention, and a focus on creating resonance. David Homan’s principles provide a clear roadmap for moving beyond superficial interactions to build a professional network that delivers both opportunities and purpose.
The key takeaways are straightforward:
- Valuable introductions take years to develop through chains of trust.
- Adopt a go-giver mindset by asking what others need first.
- Build trust through consistent, generous action, not promises.
- Cultivate a diverse network to expand your access to opportunity.
- Express genuine gratitude, a rare behavior that immediately differentiates you.
Whether you are a founder seeking investors, a sales leader building pipeline, or a professional looking to expand your influence, these principles apply. Start today by identifying three people in your network you can help without expectation of return. That single action begins the compound effect that transforms contacts into advocates and transactions into lasting relationships that change careers and communities.
