"Click" by George C. Fraser

There are five big mistakes people make while networking.

Number 1: They don’t bring business cards. You must have business cards, plus a pen. A business card says you are serious about your business and you want to let people know how to get in contact with you.

Another mistake is people who give me someone else’s card. The trick to avoiding this is to separate your incoming and outgoing business cards by pocket.

Another mistake people make is when they meet someone. They say, “You probably don’t remember me?” What you should do is hold out your hand to shake theirs and repeat your name “first”. Don’t set yourself up to embarrass yourself and the other person. Help them; give them the benefit of doubt.

Another big mistake is asking them to give first, before you’ve built the relationship. You always give first, and share first. This is the first principle of networking.

And finally, people have a low-impact “sound bite”. Here’s how you develop a 30-second-sound, high-impact sound bite. Be sure to write it down and rehearse it. You must clearly state who you are, where you are from, what you do, and how you add value—not just how, but a quantitative evaluation of your value.

If you don’t make these mistakes, you will be on your way to being a power-networker!