After a number of e-mails and conversations following last week's post on Effective 1:1 Meetings I thought I'd write a follow-up with some additional tips and thoughts.

1) Above all else it's about building a relationship. When in doubt please refer to this rule. Getting to know somebody is a process and it takes time. Don't expect to check the stellar relationship box after just one meeting. Just take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.

2) Don't Sell! See rule #1. If you scheduled a meeting with the purpose of networking then this is simply not the time to sell. You might be able to identify an opportunity to sell, but that's going to take another meeting. Don't do it now! I just realized I have about a thousand thoughts on this topic. Stay tuned. I'll write another post about this topic all by itself.

3) Don't Present! This could be confused with selling, but sometimes is different. Unless the person you're meeting with asks you to show them an example Please, for the love of god, don't whip out your laptop complete with a PowerPoint deck ready to roll. Even if somebody does ask to see an example of something you're discussing, resist the urge to grab your laptop. You'll be far better served to take this as a follow-up item.

4) Take Notes. I think I'm yet to meet someone with a perfect memory. Show your fellow networker the respect the deserve and take notes. Take note of the personal connections you discover, their goals, the things they're most passionate about. It's all important, and without the notes it'll be difficult to recall in the future without your documentation. Most importantly make sure that you note any follow-up items either of you committed to.

5) Follow-up!!! Not sure how I missed this in the first series of tips. After you've put plenty emphasis on tip #1 during the meeting the best way to continue your relationship building is to simply do what you said you were going to do. Spend the time following each meeting and review your notes, then simply do everything you promised.

I'll reiterate the fact that practice makes perfect. If you've not been meeting a lot of people face to face you're not going to nail it the first time. That's totally ok. Just keep doing it and you'll improve.

Been doing this a bunch? I'd love to hear your thoughts, or perhaps you'd like to write a guest post on this or a related topic? Drop me a line [scott <at> networkinaustin <dot> com].

Happy Networking!