Now more than ever, it is vitally important to continue networking. Perhaps consider new avenues for keeping yourself in circulation. Think outside the box and make a list of ways to stand out from the crowd. Here are three simple suggestions:

1. Have a truly interesting business card.

2. Have a “shovel ready” educational presentation that you can offer for free to organizations of interest to you.

3. Consider volunteering with your current networking groups. Are there tasks to be done that will earn you special recognition for helping out the group?

It is simple human nature that we are naturally drawn to upbeat people. Happy people generate positive energy that helps buoy up friends and colleagues alike.

My networking tip for today is simple: Be positive!

If you walk into a networking event down in the dumps you will leave feeling even worse with the realization that you’ve wasted time and left a bad impression that will be difficult to undo. Times are challenging and everyone has reasons to feel down on occasion but here are some simple ideas for projecting positive energy:

1. Wear a nice outfit with an item that calls attention to your individual style — be it a colorful scarf or a bold piece of jewelry. (If you’re a guy, this might be a challenge)

2. Have a quick, interesting, and relevant story at the ready that will be of interest to anyone you meet. Business-specific blogs can be an excellent source of up-to-date information

3. Do whatever it takes to match names with faces as people loved to hear their name spoken and love to feel remembered. That is why business cards with pictures are so convenient – and effective.

4. Resist gossiping! When you hear negative spin about someone else, make it a challenge to spin the ball the other way by saying something positive about the person being criticized. The trick is to do so in a way that doesn’t appear judgmental of the gossipers.

5. Be ready with suggestions that you can pull out of your hat to help other people. For example, what books or articles have you read lately that would be helpful or interesting to other business people? Be ready to recommend whatever fiction you are reading as well – provided it is not Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic The Road.