Most small business owners, independent professionals and entrepreneurs work hard at getting themselves known in their local business community. If you’re like one of these people you do what you can to get your name out there including handing out business cards everywhere you go. There’s probably a monthly networking group meeting you attend, a tradeshow or a conference. Then again if you’re like most people your effort and time isn’t turning into business for you like you think it should. The problem is usually in the way that first conversation with someone is handled. The most effective way to network isn’t to go around the room and talk about yourself and your small business to anyone that will stand still. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so you will get much better results if you simply approach someone and ask them what they do. Then you can focus the rest of the conversation, and most importantly your own introduction, around how your business marketing can help them solve their problems.