Thirteen Tips for Effective Networking

Here are some suggestions for mastering the art of networking.

1. Choose your networking partners carefully. Step back and evaluate the worth of different people as part of your network.
   
   
2. Go to the places that the people you wish to meet go to.
   
   
3. Start giving before you need to receive.
   
   
4. Always be courteous and considerate with those in your network.
   
   
5. Do your homework, so that you don’t waste the time of people in your network.
   
   
6. Acknowledge others’ contributions publicly-share the limelight.
   
   
7. Don’t burn your bridges.
   
   
8. Don’t whine, complain or gossip maliciously to people in your network
   
   
9. Establish affiliations of mutual advantage.
   
   
10. Find common ground.
    
    
11. Be natural and don’t oversell.
    
    
12. Take time immediately to read any business card given to you.
    
    
13. Later, note on the back of the business card when you met the person, and anything that you promised to do.