So you are doing all the right things, you go networking, have a few speaking gigs lined up, send regular newsletters and you are getting clients but it’s in drips and drops and you still feel you have to push way too hard for it. You may be wondering, is that ever going to change?

Well, it can change if you are prepared to step it up a notch (or two). A lot of people underestimate what it takes to build momentum in a business by a long shot.

Networking is a fabulous way to get clients, if you do it the right way. Many people go from one networking function to the other, exchange pleasantries with people who will never become ideal clients, deliver elevator pitches that don’t move anyone and go home with a lot of business cards that go into the bin either a week or three months later (depending on whether you are a man or a woman. Women tend to hang onto them for longer than men).

Oh and then of course there are the people who avoid networking all together because they are too shy or uncomfortable about doing it.

And that’s a shame. Because I can’t think of an easier and faster way to get clients. In fact over the years networking has been one marketing strategy I could always rely on to get me new clients when I needed them, often instantly, sometimes just a few months down the track.

But you have to be smart about it for it to work. Here are my top five tips for smart networking that pays off (often) instantly in new clients.

We all know comparisons can be a dangerous thing, but we all do it right? And seriously, have you ever stopped and wondered how some people in your industry seem to be super successful while others just scrape by or worse even never really seem to make much money at all? What’s the difference between average and outstanding?

Whenever I am working with a group of clients I see patterns emerge. And this last weekend was no different.

I spent three days with an amazing group of clients at my Market your Brilliance 2010 Workshop. And there is one clear theme that I noticed:

Don’t you love those clients that invest with you because they love what you stand for, really want the outcome you provide and are more interested in return on investment than worrying about your fee?

They are such a joy to work with, often appreciate you the most and get the best results. How would you like more of them? “Yes” I hear you say but “how do I attract more of them?”