What are you getting out of the business association or industry group meetings you attend? Are you attending meetings just to learn from the speakers? Or are you also making new contacts and bringing in new business?

If you're returning from meetings with little more than an occasional tip and a pocketful of business cards from people you don't remember, you're not getting all the benefit you should from attending business functions.

That's because the information you can glean from a speaker is only a small part of the benefit of attending. The long-term value of such functions comes from becoming a familiar face and striking up conversations with others in your industry or geographical area about interests or problems you have in common.

How successful you are at gathering information (or making friends) this way will depend on how your competitors and others in your industry perceive you.

If you seem genuinely in need of help, or genuinely interested in helping others and sharing ideas and concerns, you are likely to establish a good rapport with your colleagues. As you get to know them over time, you may exchange phone calls or meet for informal lunches or breakfasts to talk shop. Such meetings with your direct or indirect competitors can help you learn about new suppliers, new production or manufacturing methods, new regulations, and other information that's vital to your success.

On the other hand, if you come on too strong you'll have little success gaining information. If you aggressively pump small competitors for information, brag about your expertise (implying you are somehow better than the people with whom you want to network), or give them the impression that you can't be trusted, your attempts to get information will fail. Worse, you may develop a reputation for being unlikable or unethical that could spread through your community or industry and hinder your attempts to get business.

More >> 10 Tips for Successful Business Networking

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