If I have learned anything in my many years in "sales", networking is as important if not more important than the sale itself. A sale or sales shouldn't be a one-time transaction; referrals and people truly doing "business" with people they like are the keys to success.
A quote was shared with me in a sales course and I love it-
"You can't ask for a commitment that is greater than the size of the relationship you have developed with the customer."