After the event sort cards into hot prospects, warm prospects and others. Follow-up with those you meet promptly. Respond to hot prospects within 24 hours. Warm prospects: within 48 hours. All: within one week. Call or write hot or warm prospects. Call, write or e-mail everyone else. The idea here isn't to place people into boxes (a "cold" prospect can always turn out to be a hot lead to a great opportunity; you never know), but it is to help you prioritize your time and do what 95% of everyone at that networking event won't do: follow-up.

~Idea submitted by Chuck Gifford, president of Local Business Network (LBN), the southeastern Michigan-based business referral organization, and co-author of "Network Your Way to $100,000 and Beyond!" LBN is dedicated to helping its members grow their businesses through "Power Networking", a dynamic new marketing technique that is transforming the way small to medium-sized businesses market themselves. For more information, visit www.locbusnet.com.