Are you exhausted from attending one networking event after another with minimal or no results? Here are several of the reasons that you may not be getting the results you are looking for.

1. "The goal of going to networking functions is to collect as many business cards as possible and to build a large Rolodex." Many business owners and independent professionals believe if they just meet enough people, great things will start to happen. Your purpose in attending networking events should be to develop relationships. Simply gathering cards and shaking hands will not bring business.

2. "The goal of going to networking functions is to sell my products and services." This approach is guaranteed to ensure that you will not see much benefit out of your networking activities. The fastest way to turn off networking partners is to attempt to push you product or service. Your focus should be one thing only and that is to meet potential networking partners and to learn about THEIR business first. Then talk about your business with the thought in mind of looking for ways to work together to refer business or create an alliance.

3. "If I meet someone at a networking event and agree to be a referral partners, then it is likely that I will receive referrals." The only way that you will receive referrals from networking partners is to develop a face-to-face mutually beneficial relationship that generally develops over time. The initial step when you meet a likely alliance should be to get together for lunch or a cup of coffee and get better acquainted. From there it may take anywhere from one to five or six more meetings to begin to reach a level of trust and confidence to do business together.

4. "I can maintain relationships with hundreds of people as referral partners." The reality is that you can only effectively manage around 20 relationships on an in-depth basis. To meet with key partners enough to build the type of relationships that will bring new business takes a tremendous investment in those relationships. You should break down your list by A relationships, B relationships and C relationships. The A group is the one you want to spend the majority of your time with.

5. "If I find a great referral partner it will stay that way forever." You should constantly be evaluating your referral partner list and focus on those that are most productive. Relationships evolve for many reasons, and you can find yourself spending your time unwisely. Keep a log of where your business is coming from and invest your time wisely.

If you avoid these mistakes, you will be able to decrease your networking time and a greater amount building relationships that will produce results!