Value of Networking | Networking | Consultant Launch Pad Community Forum

I would be very interested in hearing the thoughts of others after reading this Q&A from the WSJ:

By COLLEEN DEBAISE

Q:I am always disappointed at the results of business networking. Not enough good return for the time spent. We attend chamber mixers and business forums, and connect on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter—all seemingly without a new client acquisition. What are the most fruitful ways to network?

—Gerry Poe
Valencia, Calif.

A: Here are two words to keep in mind: focus and patience.

First off, make sure your efforts to network aren't too broad-based. If you're attending all sorts of business meetings, it's possible you haven't figured out your specific niche. "It's a bad habit of small-business people…to want to be all things to all people," says Julia E. Hubbel, a networking expert in Lakewood, Colo.

Think about your ideal market—whether auto-parts suppliers or orthodontists—and concentrate your efforts on specific events or trade-group functions where your ideal customer might also be. Next, when you are attending networking events, make sure you can express what you do in clear, 15-second sound bites, such as "I help my clients reduce employee turnover" or "I solve the problem of uncollected receivables," Ms. Hubbel advises.

Once you've hooked a potential client's interest, be prepared to follow up with a quick, impressive story about a project you've successfully completed, she suggests. And bring that same clear focus to your social-networking efforts. Keep in mind that you are leaving a digital trail of status updates, links and conversations, which a prospective customer might review. "Everything you tweet is traceable back to you," Ms. Hubbel says. Appearing scattershot, rather than strategic, in your public communications can hurt your reputation, she adds.

Last, keep in mind that networking doesn't deliver results overnight. You should plan on at least a three-year commitment. "You can't just join the Chamber of Commerce and expect people to flock to your door," Ms. Hubbel says. Rather, people will be impressed when they see you joining committees, making decisions and getting jobs done. "You have to earn the right to do business with people," she says.