Knowing the pet-peeves of all-star networkers is just as important as knowing the best practices.  If you want to network with the best, just follow a few simple guidelines. 

• Don’t be an a*#hole.  This pet peeve, which I picked up from one of the best networkers I know – a former HR exec turned business development pro – seems to sum it up nicely, with very little explanation necessary.  If you remember only one tip, make it this one.  Be nice. Live the golden rule. Pay it forward. Always. 
• Don’t be a user.  Don’t be the person that only reaches out when you need something.  Build relationships, not just a long list of acquaintances that you call when you need a job, a favor, or a sale.
• Don’t forget to follow up and say thanks. If someone helps you, follow up. Let them know how things turned out.  I’m not talking about lavish gifts or meals. Call or buy them a cup of coffee and thank them for their efforts. Even though great networkers help without expecting anything in return, don’t take them for granted.
• Don’t be a “business card ninja.”  Don’t walk into a social or business gathering and fire off a hundred business cards in 10 minutes.  Don’t just work a room, fake a smile, shake hands, distribute all of your business cards and claim victory as a great networker. Go for quality, not quantity.  The best networkers slow down, talk to people, listen, get to know them, then hand out their card as a means to follow up and schedule a more meaningful conversation in the future.  That’s how effective networking begins.
• Don’t be creepy. Use your knowledge wisely.  Most of us are smart enough to learn a few things about new people we are going to meet by utilizing social media and an internet search.  If you find some common ground, it is fine to acknowledge “we both went to Ohio University.”  It’s just wrong to bring up minute details from someone’s past that confirm that you were digging way too deeply.  If you use LinkedIn or Facebook pictures as a means of identifying the person you are meeting at a coffee shop for the first time, great!  Just don’t let them see their picture enlarged on your phone when they walk in. That’s creepy!

This blog post is an excerpt from an article I wrote that was published in the October 2010 issue of the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership.