At each of the past four events I attended, I have generated at least one great contact: One bought a résumé the next day, one became a good friend, one became both a friend and a business collaborator, and at this last event, I met two potential clients through an existing client who talked me up. My time is well spent if I just get one wonderful client or connection; I don’t have to sell to everyone in the room. And that’s where many people seem to be missing the idea.

Although I certainly meet a number of people at these events, my goal is never to sell anything—at least not right then. Naturally, new connections will ask what I do, and I tell them: “I help small businesses get in front of—and stay in front of—their target markets through concise, effective content marketing.” If they ask more, I share a bit more. Sometimes, it’s good to be next to someone who knows what I do, because he or she will often elaborate on my short answer by giving me an instant testimonial. At the latest event, I was with a current client, who shared,” Amanda does all of our marketing, including social media, blogs, and writing awards. Without any SEO, we come up first when you type in anything about our industry, and we are consistently at the top of Ranking Arizona.”

What a great testimonial! If I heard that about someone, I would want to learn more for sure. It’s a great idea to approach any event with a buddy, preferably a client. In this case, I know so much about that client, that I could give a reciprocal testimonial, which perked up the ears of new folks.

So, when it’s time to head to your next large networking event, remember that you just need to meet one good person. Introduce yourself to a bunch, but hone in on one or two that look like they could be potentials. Have good conversations and, for goodness sake, don’t try to sell anything. In the end, you’ll likely find that you’ll make a lot more than just some quick cash.

I have been talking to a lot of people about networking—and the first thing I mention is NetworkingPhoenix.com, a monthly calendar of most everything that’s happening in the Valley of the Sun. The site has been in existence for three years or so, yet there are still a surprising number of people who don’t know about it. Whether you’re a business owner, business professional, or job seeker, you need to know about this site if you live in the Phoenix area.

What about in your area? Do you have a regional calendar of events you should know about for yourself or to share with your clients?

Another area where I’ve seen colleagues sorely lacking knowledge is in social media, which is no longer an option for savvy entrepreneurs and job seekers. I recently mentioned using WordPress to build a blog, and the person to whom I was speaking just looked at me with a blank stare. I’ve gotten the same response when I’ve mentioned HootSuite or TweetDeck, some applications to better harness the power of Twitter.

As a marketing communications strategist, I feel it is my job to know the latest and greatest in the industry. I attend free trainings and read about what’s coming down the pipeline so I know, but it sometimes feels as if I’m the only one. How can so many people be so ignorant of tools that can really help them, especially in this crazy economy? I find all too often that both job seekers and business professionals are going out into the world ill prepared to be successful. If you don’t know where to go or what to say, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. (If you aren’t sure how to network—another struggling point of many—this might be a worthwhile read: http://www.grammardocs.com/2010/07/maximize-your-networking/.)

No matter what you do for a living or whether you work for yourself or someone else, make a concerted effort to educate yourself moving into 2011. It can benefit you in so many ways, from increasing potential opportunities to improving your bottom line. And, hey, from where I’m standing, I think we could all use a little more on that line.

It’s nearly impossible for me to share with everyone THE commercial that’s best for each industry or individual, but there are some general rules that you should consider when formulating your 30-second summary.

Lead with a Bang
Five seconds. That’s how long you have to capture a listener’s attention. If you’re starting with your name, you may have already lost them. Likewise if you speak too quickly or slowly. Instead, try a question or a statistic. “Did you know?” is a great lead-in to a commercial because it gets the brain engaged and wondering what will come next. When I give a commercial, I sometimes say, “95% of the people you meet while networking will never follow up with you.” If nothing else, I’ve made the audience think – and thinking is good to keep those ears listening to what comes next.

Choose One Focus Point
Too many times during commercials, people feel the need to share a laundry list of the ways in which they can help listeners. But, if you stop for a minute and think about it, the list is more about you and not about your audience. The whole idea of a commercial is to tell listeners how you can help them. A list of what you do doesn’t say that. Instead, choose one aspect of what you do. For instance, although I write and edit content for websites, blogs, articles, newsletters, résumés, cover letters, and bios, I just focus on one thing in my commercial. You can talk about your litany of services when you’re approached later.

End with a Memory Hook
“I’m loving it.” “You’re now free to move about the country.” “How do you spell relief?” Taglines are the way we remember big-name brands, so why not use one to differentiate yourself? Some networkers include their name or business name in their taglines, but make it short and memorable and you’ll have some stickiness. For some businesses in my local networking area, I can’t remember the name of the person but I can remember the tagline.

Keep It Simple, Stupid
Remember that acronym KISS? It completely applies when you have limited time to make a big impact. Even though you have 30 seconds, if you can share your value and have people asking more, go for it! Grab attention, stay on task, and wait for people to flock to you asking for your business card or résumé!

Some social media experts will suggest a breakdown of tweets, usually in the 60%, 30%, 10% range. The biggest number is always for starting conversations or retweeting, the mid number is for what you’re doing and daily updates, and the smallest number is for blatant self-promotion. It’s a good idea, if you need a launch point, but what if you’re already addicted to Twitter and wanting to say something to engage people?

Of course, you can always build a small cohort with whom you converse and share in the promotion of each other. In the Phoenix area, it’s almost incestuous how our Follow Fridays go; we nearly always mention the same people week after week. The good thing about that is that we all get increased followers each week as well. And there’s built-in conversation as well as listeners who’ll support our blog posts and comments with retweets.

If you don’t have that group, though, you might as well be tweeting to a wall. As I explain it to older folks, tweeting is like using a CB radio; you can talk, but you’re never quite sure who’s tuned in. So, instead of leaving it to chance, engage people. On TweetDeck, you can run keyword searches. Then you can comment on what those people are saying, thereby meeting new folks. You can also see what your circle is saying and comment or retweet them. Ask questions or feedback on issues in your business. People like to help. Also, say something funny or personal from time to time. I get a lot of comments back when I share a cute saying from my son; everyone likes to know a bit about you outside of business.

Remember that social media is very much a conversation. Don’t act like a speaker; be a listener. You’ll definitely see your interactions—and followers—grow.

So my question is: can a networking event be too big?

I’m beginning to think yes. There’s no possible way to meet everyone in the room, and how can you possibly have a strategy for meeting new people with so many there? I can certainly understand why some of my introverted counterparts choose to avoid these events altogether; if an outgoing, social person like me is worn out, how will they fare?

I think that 30-50 people is the optimal number, and even 100-200 works for me. I may continue to attend these large events to see people I know and remain visible, but I’m thinking I need to limit my time to about an hour. What is your favorite type of networking event and how do you manage the large events?

Whether you’re a very extroverted entrepreneur who is energized by going out to events, or a more reserved personality who dreads those business lunches, here are some great ways that you can enhance and maximize your networking efforts.

1. Have a plan
Just going to events willy nilly isn’t a plan. How many will you attend each week? Will you always do one type of event (breakfast, seminar, mixer), or will you pick a variety? How many people do you want to meet? What kinds of people? Having a strategy will give you a way to measure if you’re meeting your goals and help you stay more focused while you’re out and about.

2. Follow up
I’ve been as guilty as the next person in this category, putting the business cards I’ve received in a pile and then forgetting about them for a week – or more. By then, I’ve typically forgotten anything about the people I met that long ago. Strive to follow up within 48 hours, either by phone or email. If you want to really stand out, you can mail a card. Your method isn’t quite as important as the fact that you’re reaching out beyond the event. Remember that your goal is to cultivate and build relationships.

3. Go back
I’ve heard a few people say, “Yeah, I went to that event before, but I didn’t make any connections.” The likelihood that you’ll score a client or referral partner after attending anything once is pretty low. You need to continue making an appearance, connecting with people, and being consistent. Be patient. It may take a number of weeks or months to create relationships and generate sales.

Networking is a vital component of being a successful entrepreneur, and you can make it work for you if you take the time to make a plan, follow up, and stay connected. Then you may find that you’re not only enjoying networking but effectively building your client base.

Now, if you’re one of the 5% of networkers, once you’ve made the connections, you’ll follow up with your new business acquaintances with a nice e-mail, phone call, or mailed card. If so, that’s excellent! But, wait, it doesn’t end there. The whole idea of going out and prospecting is to build a database of contacts, hopefully establishing and maintaining relationships. To that end, you need to continue the conversation with these new folks.

In my experience, most small business owners are gung ho to attend networking events, eagerly exchanging cards and shaking hands. A few will follow up within a few days to acknowledge the meeting … but, for many it doesn’t even get that far. And, if it does, we never communicate again.

So here’s your training, fellow networkers. Of course, set up a follow-up system to get in touch with your new colleagues within a few days. Then, add them to your drip-marketing campaign. Maybe you use a CRM system like ACT, or maybe you’re old school and use Excel, but you need to be in touch with these people to remain top of mind. I like Constant Contact, which I use to send monthly e-mails segmented based on people’s interests. That way, they hear from me regularly in messages that share useful information and some personal anecdotes about my life with my son. Because of my drip marketing, potential clients see me as an expert and turn into clients.

Remember, people don’t go to networking events to buy, but if you give them a reason to trust you and build valued credibility, you’re much more likely to see that relationship build and transition into a revenue-generating future.

The BNI adage is, “You have to be specific to be terrific.” The crazy thing is that, at one of the BNI groups where I sub, two members used absolute no-nos in their commercials. An Arbonne representative said, “I can help anyone with skin,” and the chiropractor said, “I can help anyone with a spine.” Seriously, it was all I could do not to laugh. These are the examples that are used to NEVER say. When you say “anyone,” people typically hear “no one.”

How do you improve your value statement in 30 seconds? The golden rule is to always consider what you can do to help listeners. If you’re asking for a specific referral, make it specific. The photographer at another BNI group almost always mentions a name. Granted, no one in the room may know that person, but it’s worth a shot. And you can’t be more specific than saying a name. If you’re not looking for one particular person, personalize your approach. Try something like, “When you’re talking to your friends and they say, ‘I’m concerned that my company will be laying off soon,’ – that’s the perfect referral for me.”

Don’t talk about what you do; talk about how you help. For instance (not that this is perfect), I say:

“I’m Amanda Collins, Chief of Staff with The Grammar Doctors. I help you stay in front of your targeted audience through strategic marketing in the form of blogs, newsletters, advertorials, and résumés. If you’d prefer to write these items yourself, I can also edit them to make sure they’re perfect! No matter what your objective is, The Grammar Doctors has the prescription for your word ailments.”

I don’t typically say who my target audience is because, in my experience, I’m usually the only person around who does what I do. Also, once I added “products” to my commercial (as opposed to just services: writing and editing), I noticed that my positive feedback and referrals skyrocketed.

So start thinking about your value proposition. How can you help people? Who’s your best client? Would you be interested in listening to what you’re saying? It’ll likely take some practice and testing to get a few great commercials, but if you’re focused on your listener, you’ll see a difference in the feedback you receive.

Networking is an art. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you probably won’t be effective. On the networking circuit, there are a few different types of networkers, some good, some not so much. More of the obvious types you’ve probably encountered include:

• The Card Passer: You know the guy I mean. He’s the one who’s leaving cards on every table, making sure you have one in your hand either during or immediately following the handshake, and somehow manages to get cards into the stalls of the bathrooms – both genders!
• The Wallflower: “I just sit here at the bar and people come up to me.” If you’re gorgeous or in the way of getting alcohol (or both!), this may work. However, the reason for talking to you may have little to do with business and probably won’t turn into much more than a potential story to tell the next day.
• No-Card Guy: As a wordsmith, it’s funny to me anyway when people ask, “Do you have a card?” but this person actually says no! Who goes to an event without cards? If that’s the case, just stay home and stop wasting time because the likelihood you’ll follow up with the folks who gave you cards is slim.

When you go to a networking event, follow a few simple guidelines and you’ll find the experience to be one you’re willing – and eager! – to repeat:

• Take a slew of business cards, but only hand them out to people with whom you’ve spoken or made a connection. And look at each business card you receive, so people feel you value your time with them.
• Try to have five- to ten-minute conversations with a handful of people. Canvassing the room saying hi to everyone isn’t nearly as meaningful.
• Introduce people. If you go with a networking buddy, take turns choosing people to meet and then introduce each other to the new connections.
• Mingle! If you’re not in the mood to talk and “bring it,” stay home.
• Ask key questions: “How may I help you?” “Who is your best customer?” “Where would you like your business to be in five years?” You’ll get to a relationship faster.
• Don’t have expectations of making money. The goal of networking is to create relationships; the money will come in time.

It takes some practice to be the life of the networking party, especially if you’re not an extrovert (no problem for me there), but it’s well worth the investment. Seal the deal by following up with an e-mail, phone call, or hand-written note and you’ll be well on your way to building your business!