I want you to keep reading my articles on DesignersCouch. And I want the information to be suitable to your needs. That’s why I’ll be honest and tell you not every freelance designer should be out there networking. Some should be doing more. And some who are networking today may be doing it all wrong.

Take the quiz

What does old fashioned face-to-face networking mean to you? Let’s start with a little multiple choice quiz to find out where you stand.

a. Does networking conjure up images of glad-handing with insincere plastically-grimaced strangers?

b. Is it time spent on a Thursday night when you’d rather be watching “The Office” or the backlog of “American Idol” episodes on your DVR? Or, maybe, having dinner with your family for a change?

c. It is an activity you’ve engaged in previously with some limited success?

d. Is networking the source of most of your design business?

The answers to these will tell you how you feel about networking. But you probably already know that. Whether or not you love networking shouldn’t be the final determining factor. Neither should your track record of success. If you’re still on the fence, ask yourself:

a. Are there good networking groups where I live that draw people I should meet such as potential clients and sources of referrals?

b. Will I come to the event with a positive attitude, ready to market my business?

c. Am I willing to try to make networking work?

If you answered yes to all of these three questions, you should be networking. But to be successful, three things have to happen. You have to:

1. Be in the right room

Not every networking opportunity will be a fit for you. I’m frequently surprised at some of the networking functions my colleagues attend. But I’m not surprised months down the road when they realize they’re not going to make meaningful connections or get business. Focus on networking where you’re most likely to find prospects and clients. Also consider where your business partners go. If you’re not sure, ask them.

2. With the right people

If the people you engage don’t have decision making authority, they should at least have a real need for your services and a desire to bring you in and move you up the food chain. If none of the people in the room has any connection with marketing, advertising branding or web development, they aren’t the right people.

Networking can drain the time and life out of you if you’re not in front of the right people. Be smart about the events you attend.

3. At the right time

Timing is just as critical as being in the right room. If you meet the perfect client six months after they engage a crack freelancer, you’re too late. And if you meet them six months before they need you, never to be heard from again, don’t expect them to be thinking of you when the project rolls around. You won’t get great results if you’re sporadic. When it comes to business leads through networking, people do business with the people they see on a recurring basis.

People who do an inordinate amount of networking will tell you, “it’s all about building the relationships.” They may be right. But in my experience, it’s even more about being in the right place, at the right time, in front of someone with budget, need and decision making authority. In my experience, it’s more about timing than persistence. Though you’ll need more than a little persistence to make networking work for you.

Be realistic

If you’re going to an event every two weeks for six months and you’re coming up empty, it’s time to move on and dedicate your resources elsewhere. Don’t keep showing up if the relationships and leads aren’t coming.

Networking can pay off big time

I’ve built significant recurring business through networking events and referrals that come from them. I’ve landed lucrative multi-year contracts because of networking. Networking can pay off in a big way. But it takes patience, a smart pitch on your part and a willingness to follow up on leads. And it takes you putting out of your mind—for a couple of hours—all the places you’d rather be and the people you’d rather be with.

So, should you network? If so, join us soon for networking tips exclusively for designers.