A network with a large number of people in it will be useless if you do not maintain contact with the members. Success is a numbers game but the numbers must mean something.

1. Success is a Numbers Game
Success is a numbers game in many different ways. Many people
measure success by the amount of money they make or the number of
customers that they have. Another great way to measure success is
the number of contacts you make.
Many successful people get that way because they have lots of people
in their networks. A successful salesperson may have a large network
of contacts that includes clients and people who can point her to other
clients for example. A successful banker often has a large network of
contacts that includes potential lenders and potential borrowers.
Quite a few people get successful because they are successful
networkers. They can build up large networks to get things done and
create lots of contacts. Many successful business people develop
networks that can get them everything they need such as capital,
supplies and expertise.
Fortunately developing a large network is easier than many people
think. Simply recording the names and contact information for as
many people as possible is the first step. In many cases the most
successful professionals are those with the largest Rolodexes. Asking
everybody you meet for a business card is a good way to network.
Generally a successful professional should have several hundred
people in her network. Many failures get that way because they do not
know anybody. They cannot find jobs, sales leads or other vital
contacts because they have no network.
Networking is not hard but it does involve social activities and
attention. Regular attendance at meetings of organizations like the
National Association of Professional Women or NAPW is part of
the formula for success. So is maintaining contact with those in the
network.
A network with a large number of people in it will be useless if you do
not maintain contact with the members. Success is a numbers
game but the numbers must mean something.