By Andrea Nierenberg

The following article first appeared in Training & Development.

Prior to starting my own company, shopping used to be a favorite pastime. Little did I know that such a "hobby" would result in a $35,000 sale for my business. It all started when I bought an outfit from a salesperson who I decided to stay in touch with afterwards.

After this first purchase with this salesperson, I got to know her by stopping in to say "hi" and by referring other shoppers. She returned the favor by suggesting that I contact the new management team who, as it turns out, were looking to provide corporate training for the whole chain. To get the ball rolling, I first sent a letter to the president and complimented her on her wonderful line of clothes, and mentioned that I had been a collector for years. Two months later, I got a call inviting me in to make a presentation about my services, and to write a proposal. The rest is history. And this wasn¹t even my first big client.

My first client could be traced back to a conversation we had on a train ride. She was sitting across from me and pulled out a book I had just read. We began a conversation and before we knew it, two other people had joined in. As we got around to talking about what kind of work we did, it was time to get off the train. However, the woman I first met said, "I'm looking for someone to design a customer service program, so send me your material." I did better than that. The next day I hand delivered the material and left it with her receptionist. She called that afternoon and we've been working together ever since.

Keep in mind that it's not that simple. There was a long waiting time. Actually, for both of the above experiences, it took five years to get from the first interaction to the closed sale. However, it¹s like walking through a farmland and throwing out seeds; you know that they all may not bear fruit. However, if you don¹t start with the seeds, there will be nothing to water, nurture, and eventually harvest. That¹s why we need to seek out potentially "bankable" places to network.

I recently got an email from the daughter of the vice president of the bank my parents use in Florida. I've been sending her mom my newsletter for a year and always stop by the bank to say hello. The banker put her daughter, who is a training director at a major restaurant chain, in touch with me. Now we're in the process of discussing their training needs. Let¹s face it - who can give you a better referral than someone¹s mother?

I was recently with my mother in a grocery store. While waiting in the checkout line, I noticed that the name badge on our clerk read "Training Director." We started to chat, and she actually invited me to come to their training department the next time I was in the store. I immediately followed up by sending her a note with my newsletter. I also mailed a letter to the corporate office of her store, expressing how very nice she was and how she went the extra mile to make my experience a pleasant one. Will I get an assignment from them? I do not know. However, I have a new "contact" that I can get to know over time.

Here are a few techniques to help you network more effectively:

1. Give the new contact a sincere compliment, such as, "You seem to enjoy your job and enjoy making people feel welcomed."

2. Show a genuine interest in the person. Simply ask questions to learn more about him or her as a person, not just someone connected to a company from which you want business.

3. Follow up immediately. When a new networking contact leads to writing a proposal, get the person the information as soon as possible. Do the follow-up based on the person¹s directions. If necessary, send additional information overnight. And always include something extra that your competition cannot provide. I call it "WIT" - Whatever it Takes.

4. Remember to thank anyone who refers you to someone. The contact might have come from a party, a wedding, a business function, or from your health club. Keep the person who invited you "in the loop" and let him or her know about what's happening. Chances are he or she will speak to your "new contact" and have the opportunity to put in a good word for you.

5. "The Wizard of Oz" principle. Remember what the good witch tells Dorothy at the end of the movie, that "you always had the ability to go home." Now, think back to your current client list. How did you get each assignment you're working on? Chances are, if you think back, those clients were either referrals or relationships you developed that started off as nothing.

Get out your note cards today and send out "thank you" notes to those you work with and those who referred you to clients. It¹s guaranteed to make you, and, more importantly, your contacts feel better.

Finally, who says going to a dentist has to be a painful experience? Once I went to my dentist¹s office to have some work done. A short while back I had provided customer service training for his staff, and of course, I had been referring patients to him. My dentist left the room while I was waiting for the novocain to settle in. Suddenly, he ran in to tell me something urgent. He said, "You have to meet my patient in the next room. Her company needs someone like you!" Of course, I arranged a follow-up meeting when we could both speak clearly. The real coincidence is that she just happened to come in to the office for an emergency because, as she was traveling, her tooth broke.