Networking mistakes can hold up your career progress signficantly. When you meet someone for the first time, they (and you) create a perception about the level of professionalism, knowledge, and/or overall personality being offered during your interaction. Here are some mistakes to avoid if you’re looking to boost your career through networking.

1. Answer the phone. I was mid-introduction at a networking event recently and the lady answered her phone right in the middle of my introduction. To make matters worse, she walked away from me to continue her conversation! When I saw her again during the event, she didn’t even apologize or try to pick up where we left off. From that moment I had already decided I wouldn’t do business with her. It its extremely rude and unprofessional to take phone calls during networking events, unless it’s an emergency. She lost a potential customer, left a bad taste in my mouth, and lost all potential clients from my connections, too.
2. Waiting to be approached first. Yes, I know it is super awkward to randomly go up to someone and start talking, but can I tell you a little secret? That’s kind of what you’re there to do! Being anti-social is actually considered weird at a networking event. What I usually do to break the ice is offer a compliment or ask a question to whomever I want to approach. It’s hard for people take offense when given a compliment.
3. Forget your business card. If you know you’re going to a networking event, put your cards in your purse, car, or jacket pocket the night before. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “oh, I forgot them!”. Seriously? When you don’t have something to offer with your name on it, it sends a message that you’re either unprepared or uninterested in connecting. Being unprepared is offensive to those who are truly interested in connecting. In the social media climate we live in, it’s easy to fall into a technology bubble, but I encourage you to always carry something tangible that represents your brand to potential clients.
4. Dressing Down. I always keep a spare blazer in my car just in case I am in a hurry before getting to a networking event. Dressing overly casual doesn’t send a signal that you’re about business or ready to do business. A networking event is a social interview. You’ll need to show up looking professional because you’re in a professional environment. You never know who you’re going to meet, so dress accordingly to avoid feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed if you unexpectedly bump into that CEO or Executive you’ve been hoping to interview with.
5. Preparing the follow-up email in advance. Your follow-up email is crucial to continuing the conversation. Before you attend the event, prepare your follow-up email draft. By doing this, you won’t be so overwhelmed with trying to carve out time in your schedule to reach out to those important people you’ve connected with at the event. A trick I use when networking is to write myself a note on their business card to remind me of our conversation. This way, I can include something specific about our meeting in my email. It makes it more personal and easier for them to remember me.

*This article has been edited and was originally published by Mary in the Legacy Miami Magazine, July 2018 edition.