A shake of the hand here.
A business card passed out there.
During a time of staggering unemployment brought on by a sluggish economy, businesspeople say networking is now more important than ever - but it's not just about showing your face.
"Effective networking is about building relationships," said Kristi Haulsee, vice president of member investor services for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. "People do business with people they know."
Haulsee said over the past year she's seen attendance increase at the Chamber's more than 150 annual networking events. For the organization's monthly morning networking, attendance has been up between 50 and 60 percent, she said.
Seasoned professionals aren't the only ones showing up. Chamber events attract people varying in ages from college students to those ready for retirement, Haulsee said.
At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's College of Business, professors encourage students to get out into the community and start forging relationships by junior year, said Dr. Melanie McCoskey, a business professor.
McCoskey tells students the people they will meet not only can help them get jobs, but also will serve as colleagues in the business community.
"You will run into them all the time," she said. "You need to get to know them because you may be working with them someday, or they may help you get a job someday."
To be successful at networking, local professionals say it's important to treat the opportunity like a conversation rather than an interview.
NETWORKING TIPS* Make an extra effort to be outgoing, even if you're typically shy.* Be prepared - have plenty of business cards on hand and a pen to write down anyone's information who didn't bring a card.* Go to an event armed with two questions you can ask about the person's business, and be prepared to talk about how you can contribute.* Bring something up in conversation that you can come back to when you follow up with the person, such as a favorite sports team or a trip you recently took, to jog their memory of who you are.Source: Kristi Haulsee and Terran Anderson
"You can really create a sense of community," said Elizabeth Crenshaw, vice president of the Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga. "It's not necessarily what you can get, but what you can bring to other people as well."
Terran Anderson, marketing coordinator for InfoSystems Inc., said she's gotten three jobs in the Chattanooga area thanks to her networking efforts. Each time she was ready for a career change, she was able to have her resume shuffled to the top of the pile by creating relationships with the companies through networking.
"Now when I network, I'm able to recommend other people," she said. "I don't need to network for myself anymore, but I'm able to network on behalf of my product and bring in new customers for the company."