At a networking event this week hosted by Experian Interactive Media, Stephen Semprevivo, President, spoke briefly about networking, and encouraged everyone to use storytelling as one of their networking techniques.

Everyone swaps stories at networking events, but I'm not sure everyone uses storytelling effectively to accomplish their networking goals.

There are many ways to use storytelling in your networking, such as:

• Solidify a relationship through your common experiences
• Describe a person you will introduce them to
• Demonstrate your expertise in solving a problem the other person mentioned

Here are a few resources on storytelling techniques in business:

• Once Upon a Business…The Role of Storytelling in Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship
• Storytelling as a Key Leadership Tool
• Marketing Is Storytelling
• The Ten Truths of Branded Storytelling

So...what's your story?

Here in the Los Angeles area several groups hold networking events for technology and media companies. However, our free LINC events seem to fill a special need in L.A., so my co-organizers and I are glad we can start hosting these events again.

If you are involved in guiding or managing some aspect of a digital media or software company you'll want to come meet others like you. Be sure to RSVP now because we're quickly approaching the limit on the number of people that the location can handle. (After you RSVP you'll be able to see who else is coming.)

If you would like to host casual networking events like this for people in your industry, here are the guidelines we've followed:

• Find a location that's easy for most people to get to.
• Make sure parking is convenient and as inexpensive as possible.
• Choose a venue that will provide a large, open meeting area - and has good food.
• Recruit one or more sponsors who will pay for the venue and food so you won't have to charge admission.
• Invite people in a narrow enough industry or sector that it's likely that everyone would like to meet each other.

If this happens, encourage every person you invite to use the "Send Invitation to Friend" form on the event page to invite people they know. Take advantage of the connectedness of your community to attract a larger group of people who will all be glad you organized the event.

StartupLA was organized by local entrepreneurs who decided that other entrepreneurs starting high-tech ventures in Los Angeles need a quick overview of key parts of business.

I was pleased to participate in the marketing panel, and later watched the panel on business networking. Those four panelists clearly have their own attitudes and approaches to networking.

For example, Boris Epstein, a recruiter, has over 500 connections in LinkedIn and uses LinkedIn extensively to contact candidates. On the other hand, Joel Ordesky, one of CTOs on the panel, has under 300 contacts and advises people to not seek connections to the "super connectors" in LinkedIn.

Each of the four panelists shared a number of real-word networking tips. Here is a significant tip from each panelist:

Steve Burgess gave the best reason to continually build your network when he said, "I don't do business with people I don't know." This indicates the importance of developing relationships before you expect to do business with someone. For entrepreneurs, it's especially valuable to nurture relationships with potential investors before asking them to make an investment.

Boris Epstein said, "Being with people 'up' the ladder allows you to learn from people who have done more than you have." Networking with people who are more accomplished in certain areas allows you to have new experiences with someone who can mentor and provide guidance.

Joel Ordesky said, "Tell who you are, not what you want to be." People who network are usually looking for contacts who can help them make a change, so it's hard to avoid talking about the new project or venture. This can be tricky for entrepreneurs starting a new business, especially when they are leaving another industry to start their new business.

However, the reason other people network with us is based on who we are now and how we can help them. So, temper your enthusiasm for your upcoming projects and let people know how you can help them today.

Tony Karrer said, "Formulate a question that's a request for expertise." An effective way to engage people is to ask for information or assistance. It's a great conversation starter, and it can form the basis of a relationship.

These real-world networking tips illustrate that successful networking is about creating mutually beneficial relationships built on trust, understanding each other, and a desire to help each other.

Before we created SureToMeet, it was hard to schedule several weeks of viewing parties. It was almost funny watching the host on his cell phone and landline phone talking to two people while he was IMing someone else!

Now, each person's comments on the event page create a temporary "community" as they keep updating their notes about which shows they're bringing, plans for food, etc.

We recently saw the pilots for several new TV shows. Bionic Woman is the first show of the new season that we all want to watch; we'll pick another soon, I'm sure.

This year we also decided to create a special Web site to promote the idea of hosting TV viewing parties, especially Bionic Woman.

www.SureToMeet.com/bionic_woman

Viewing parties have been a great way to nurture friendships. Ask several friends and acquaintances which new TV show they like, then host a party each week and watch it together.

Nichelle Stephens points out a few of the places where you may find yourself networking when you may not expect it:

It's August and many people are away for vacation. This is actually an excellent time to build up your contacts. You will meet other vacationers on the plane, in the hotel lobby or on the beach. Everyone is relaxed so conversations flow freely.

One of the reasons that vacation networking can work well is that you already share some interests in common.

Be sure to pack a few extra business cards along with the sunscreen and bathing suit.

Joel Block, who helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses, posted a reminder about how to grow relationships:

There are several problems with relying on e-mail as your primary source of communication. First, it's impersonal. There is little true relationship-building through e-mail.

He's right that e-mail is better for sending detailed information than it is for nurturing relationships:

Be personal. Pick up the phone or take people out to lunch. That's the old fashion way, but it works, and many of us still prefer this "high-touch" way of doing business.

So, call someone you haven't talked to in a while and ask how they're doing, share something about yourself, and plan to get together face-to-face.

All of these are networking tips that I didn't include in my Top 10 Networking Tips series.

The first nine are good techniques, but the tenth is about the philosophy of networking:

Go everywhere with the intention of having fun. People want to be around the upbeat, fun, interesting, and interested person.

When you show that you enjoy being with the people you are meeting, and have fun meeting people, then you'll apply these networking tips and techniques much more easily and with less stress.

The options for electronic connections has grown tremendously from the telephone and e-mail to include instant messaging, SMS text messaging on our cell phones, and social networking Web sites like MySpace and Match.com. Let's not forget about blogs, where comments can be a conversation. And, the newest way to share everything about your life, Twitter.

While most of these services can help grow online relationships, their most valuable uses are to share information and arrange face-to-face encounters with another person or group.

Tony Karrer links to a post by Kathy Sierra (Face-to-Face Trumps Twitter, Blogs, Podcasts, Video...) on attending the SXSW conference that covers online communicating. She said:

Bottom line: Face-to-Face matters, and the more people we meet online, the more people we now want to connect with offline.

She points out that one of the reasons people attend face-to-face events is the emotional energy of being around others who believe as you do. SXSW attendees believe in the power and benefits of online communication and media. And they came together face-to-face to learn from each other and support each other.

Another powerful motivation for attending face-to-face events is physical touch. Whether it's a hardy handshake at business events or a friendly hug or kiss at social events, physical touch is key to great relationships.

By the way, she also listed 10 great ways to get people together face-to-face.

The chart highlights how to choose whether to hold an online event or a face-to-face event. If it's only for information sharing, especially among people who already know each other, hold the meeting online. However, if the attendees need to build relationships and become motivated, face-to-face is still the best way to meet.

So, when you’re deciding whether to have an online meeting or a face-to-face meeting, consider whether the relationships everyone will form are more valuable than everyone's cost of traveling to the meeting.

How do you know if you accomplished your goals?

Jim Sterne, organizer of the E-Metrics conferences, recommends that people attending his events decide ahead of time what they want to achieve. He tells how to Identify, record, and share your desired three outcomes:

Each of your outcomes will be effective when they meet the following criteria.

S - Specific (the What, Why and How)
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Timely

So, before attending events have a few clear objectives in mind so you'll return successful -- and ready to attend again.

Following up with new contacts from a networking event is very important. However, it takes time to enter people in a contact manager and write appropriate e-mails.

Kathleen said that the way to make sure you follow up quickly is to block out time on your calendar for following up at the same time you add the networking event to your calendar.

This sounded very easy to do -- until I started doing it. It turned out to be harder than I expected to find a block of time between meetings and other tasks to focus on following up with new contacts, but it's helped me contact people a few days sooner.

By the way, Kathleen Ronald, “the Queen of Business Networking,” speaks at conferences and regional events, as well as coaches individuals and corporate teams. If you want to be a better networker call Kathleen.

• Ask Questions
• Offer Help
• Bring Business Cards
• Write Things Down
• Set Goal and Practice
• Follow Up
• Be Yourself at All Time

Edith's list is a good reminder of effective networking techniques.