Have you ever walked out of a networking event and thought, “what waste of time”?  We all have at some point.

Here are a few tips to enable you never waste your time again.

• Be picky about the events you attend. I typically rely on word-of-mouth before I go to a networking event. I always ask who will be there and what types of businesses are represented. If I don’t think it’ll be a good fit for my purpose, I don’t go.

• Understand that networking is hit or miss. You might make five connections at one meeting and nothing at the next. It’s also important to realize that while people might not need your product or service now, you never know when they will. I have received phone calls and gained new clients more than a year after meeting someone at a networking event!