Here’s my best piece of advice on this subject: Invest in others before you ask them to invest in you. It is harder to make a withdrawal if you haven’t been making regular deposits.

“One of the very first things I do every day is network. I have a cup of coffee first, read my relentless vision and then I decide who I am going to network with.”
— Meridith Elliott Powel

From that standpoint, think about networking as a lifestyle rather than a task. It’s not a single event. It’s something professionals should do every day as part of their normal operating procedures.