Upgrade Your Networking Mind-Set

This skill set is especially productive when you're meeting weekly with a strong contact network. The difference between trying to say it all and focusing on one aspect of your business each week is huge.

3. Hold one-on-ones. Conducting a one-on-one is almost like doing an interview, except that you both get to ask questions. The idea is to share something in each category you discuss with your referral source. I once had the chance to see how this literally transformed a networking relationship between two businessmen who'd been in the same networking group for quite some time but hadn't really made a deeper connection.

The two begrudgingly took my recommendation to do a GAINS exchange -- to talk about their goals, achievements, interests, networks and successes -- and found that they had quite a few things in common. They both coached their young daughters' soccer teams, they both collected sports teams' hats, and their college degrees were in the same field. These two seemingly disinterested people became very close and developed the type of networking relationship that most only dream about.

See how networking is as much a mind-set as it is a skill set? Clearly, there are many things to do that will make your networking attempts successful, but there are also many ways to think that are equally important to this art.