business contact

Meaning

A professional acquaintance or connection who can help you with your career, sales, partnerships, or industry information. It refers to a person you know through work rather than a personal friend.

Examples

• He shared the phone number of a valuable business contact in the tech industry.

  He shared the phone number of a valuable business contact in the tech industry.

• I met an important business contact at the conference last weekend.

  I met an important business contact at the conference last weekend.

• She keeps all her business contacts organized in a digital address book.

  She keeps all her business contacts organized in a digital address book.

• LinkedIn is a great platform for finding and staying in touch with business contacts.

  LinkedIn is a great platform for finding and staying in touch with business contacts.

• He is not a personal friend, just a business contact I met a few years ago.

  He is not a personal friend, just a business contact I met a few years ago.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I need to call my business relation.

  ✓ I need to call my business contact.

  'Business relation' usually refers to the abstract relationship between companies, while 'business contact' refers to the actual person you communicate with.

• ✗ She is my work friend.

  ✓ She is my business contact.

  'Work friend' implies a personal, social friendship at the office, whereas 'business contact' is purely professional and often external.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I got this supplier's details from a reliable ___.

  💡 A professional connection who helps with work.

  Show answer

  business contact

• Attending trade shows is an excellent way to make a new ___.

  💡 A person you meet for professional reasons.

  Show answer

  business contact