I was at a trade show a couple of weeks ago. I was also pretty excited to go, because I work at home, and these events are like an exercise in human interaction for me, since I feel like I live most of my life staring at a PC screen. You might be in the same boat as me, doing all of your networking and communicating via email, text message, and by chatting online or doing VoIP. There might be a little face time involved when the webcam’s on, but it’s always under pressure… and without much formality, in most cases. Today I’m going to take a minute to point out some basic and common mistakes people make when they are networking in the real world, when there is actually someone looking you in the eye.

In order to network successfully with other event attendees and people who you run into at trade shows, a few things have not changed at all since the invention of the convention hall. These will come as no surprise to anyone, but there are a few things that I’ve observed, even as recently as the last show I attended in Shanghai, with a mix of expats (foreign workforce living in China) that were crawling all over the place. Some seemed to have forgotten the most basic stuff, and it surprises me every  time.

Getting into the swim of things – very important, unless you’re expecting the others to come and find you. Most likely, you will need to sign up for a few trade shows and industry events that everyone will be at, but it’s not limited to those. There are, of course a lot of other gatherings that could enhance your visibility and strengthen your existing connections as well. Parties are a great way to become more integrated within the social circle of those who are already making things happen, and a lot of first-timers only take this opportunity to eat and drink for free. These days, the influential members of the business know each other on a first-name basis, and getting your first name out there will put you in a very good position indeed. Just as you would do with a job interview, it pays to do a little research about the people that are expected to attend, so you can find a good entry point in conversation.

Bring your cards – I’m positively amazed when I meet someone, and they don’t have a business card. I always have my business cards on me, wherever I may go. There was once a great quote from a photographer that said “The best camera in the world is the one you’re holding when you take the shot.” Sound advice, and it makes a real impression when you’ve got cards to present to someone in unexpected situations. Cards are cheap, but don’t be too cheap. Free card printing services send a poor message, while cards that look like they should be framed and hung in a gallery are equally ridiculous. While you’re at it, bring a notepad, because most Asian businessmen will have information printed on both sides of their cards, so no place to jot down notes on the back, like with most cards in the western world.

Don’t be looking to make a sale – if you’re at a networking event, party, show, or any other social exercise… keep from trying to make money, unless the purpose of the event is to sell. Most trade shows in the wholesale industry are great for jobbers who want to pick up some discounted goods, but most other people are really there to collect information, not to make significant amounts of money change hands. I see this happen a lot too, and it never makes anything happen for the one who’s pushing their wares… except pushing everybody away from them.

Get your story down to 30 seconds – you’ve probably heard of the “elevator speech” or a “commercial” for yourself, but have you really come up with one yet? Do it, already. Having a canned soundbite that sums up your purpose in life is a lot better than stammering and stumbling through an introduction. Of course, it would be a great idea to have a friend or trusted associate judge your pitch, so you don’t make yourself sound bad.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions – because this is the time to do it! A lot of people I see at shows are, for some reason, scared to ask questions that could lead to other great conversations or open up some dormant opportunities for them.

Hopefully these tips will give you the nudge in the right direction, as you gear up to meet new people and make the final approach to 2011 a great one!