“How can you expose yourself to the widest segment of the business community? This could include; a weekly referral group, industry associations, Women’s Groups and a local Chamber of Commerce. Also in the mix are online communities, Service Clubs and charities.

Choose a variety of groups that gives you the broadest exposure, suits your passions and utilizes your talents….and do not over commit! ” From the book Face-To-Face Networking Skills in a Social Media World” By Mindy Selinger

Let me add to that list, the international networking community. Recently, I attended a mixer hosted by the Asian Business Association in conjunction with the Hong Kong Association, the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, The San Diego World Trade Center, The French-American Chamber of Commerce and the German-American Chamber of Commerce. There were over 100 people there, and NO familiar faces! Do you know how rare that is for me?

Every metropolitan area has its most regularly attended functions hosted by the largest chambers and mainstream organizations. Attend these regularly and over time you will become familiar with local business dynamics and who the serial (serious) networkers are. You’ll meet new people as well as touch base with previous connections. But when you really want to bring diversity into your network and increase your Networking Footprint, you have to think outside the networking box. Look for the smaller niche chambers, & affinity-focused organizations. They truly represent the full spectrum of equal-opportunity networking, and will add immensely to your overall networking success.