The difference between a great networker and a bad networker can be minute. The good news is that you can really set yourself apart by doing very basic things.

I decided to write this post after reading Liz Handlin's post: "Manners Make a Difference." I highly recommend you take 2 minutes to read her entry before reading the rest of my commentary.

Click here now.

Ok. Now that you're back you can see the Liz had an experience with a great networker and a bad networker in the exact same scenario. The only difference between great and bad was the 3 minutes it took to write a quick thank you note to Liz.

Now I'm sure that Liz would have been just as satisfied with a quick 30 second phone call or even voicemail simply acknowledging the help she provided and a simple "thank you." That's literally all it takes. That's the difference.

Thank you notes are one of the most powerful tools available today. Between the card, envelope and stamp you'll probably spend a whole dollar ($1.00). Literally I don't think you can possible get more bang for a buck.

How do you feel when you get a hand written note in the mail? It's probably the first thing you open and the last thing you forget as you go through your mail opening routine. You can have that kind of impact for the investment of $1 and a few minutes of your time.

This is very unscientific, but based on my experience networking here in Austin I'd say that 3% of networkers regularly use thank you notes.

Are you in the top 3 percent?

Happy networking!

Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com