Networking can be one of the most effective methods used to market your business; however there are few things that just aren't true.

They are:

1. You will always get business every time you attend a networking meeting. Unfortunately, you don't always have immediate results. On a rare occasion it's possible but it's not the norm.
2. You don't have to participate; you just need to show up. Just by making an appearance, doesn't earn you immediate business.
3. You need to be very aggressive if you want it to work. Quite the opposite, you'll turn people away if you're too pushy.
4. It's just a social party and no business ever really happens. Definitely not the truth, lots of business happens from networking events. Although they can be lots of fun too!
5. Unless you buy something from someone, you won't receive any referrals. If you meet people like that that, you're not at the right place. Wish them well and meet people that are freely giving referrals, regardless of what you do for them.
6. You need to be born and raised in the community or no one will want to network with you. "The Good Ole Boys Network." I know for a fact that it's one of the best places to be if you're new to the community. Although the "Good Ole Boys Network" still exists, do your best to promote the others and they'll love you to pieces!
7. You need to be an extrovert in order to succeed at networking. Plenty of people attend and are sometimes uncomfortable until they get to know the group. The world is a mix of both types of individuals and networking works for both.
8. The only people out networking are companies under 5 years in business. I believe all businesses need to stay visible in their community regardless of how long they are open. There are all types of people that network including CEOs, Executives, Administrators, Teachers, Lawyers, home based businesses and other professionals.
9. You can only give referrals to people in that group. Unfortunately, this could be true if you are in a structured referral network where you make a promise to find others in the group business. If you only plan on being involved in one group, that's fine. However, when you expand your network, it could be unfair to others you may know that are more qualified to receive your referral.
10. You should only attend if you're selling something. Absolutely not. I encourage people to attend for a variety of reasons from making a connection to land a new job to getting inspiration to launch their own business. The reason someone attends may also include wanting to surround themselves with other successful people. You just don't know what their reason but it's not always to sell you something.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Willman