When we talk about careers, we talk a lot about networking. Knowing how to take advantage of new and old contacts who can help you learn about your target industry—or even help you find and secure a job in your target industry—is a huge part of career planning.

Networking is also especially important when you’re a legislator. Contacts can help you get elected. Nobody would vote for someone who doesn’t know anyone in their constituency.

Be sure to send a nice follow-up note.

But one thing I’ve learned so far in my internship is that networking isn’t really what the outreach people in my office do. At least, that’s not what they call it.

One of the women in my office “visits” a lot. Whenever she represents our boss at events, she always comes back and reports to us not only what happened at the event, but also who she “visited with” and what she learned from them.

“Visiting” is a funny word. Out here in the Breadbasket, it’s used to explain not only where you went (“I visited an old friend”), but also to explain what you did when you got there (“We visited for a bit”). “Visiting” is sort of like chatting, but it implies that you caught up on someone’s life in addition to talking about whatever other topics came up. It’s a general practice—you don’t have to know someone well to visit with them—but it’s also more personal than just talking.

To me, what my colleague is doing is sort of like networking. She’s meeting people and, through conversation, figuring out what each party can do for each other. But she’s also doing more than that. She’s visiting. She’s getting to know people and letting people get to know her. She’s becoming more than just a contact on a business card. She’s becoming a friendly acquaintance, maybe even a friend.

Of course, being able to visit successfully requires so much more work. You have to know what the person’s about and what their issues might be: Are they from a small town? Are they a veteran? Are they in agriculture? Energy? Education? That personal connection will be lost if you have to draw a blank on something crucial. You have to know the official lingo—I swear I’ve heard Cathy explain complicated Social Security forms and processes off the top of her head—and the local lingo—“supper” rather than “dinner.”

Don’t let this be you!

Being able to visit with rather than just network is so valuable when you’re out on the front lines instead of in the board room. It means that you are a face people will recognize and, hopefully, a person they can trust. Whether you hold a public office or are just trying to shake things up in your community, you have to make sure people trust you. Sitting down and visiting people is a great place to start.