Before we were married, Dave and I spent a weekend in Annapolis. At the time, I was hoping for an engagement ring, so I was dragging Dave into every jewelry store in sight. That's how I found Zachary's Jewelers. Or rather, that's how they found me.

I tried on several beautiful rings and chatted with Evangeline Ross about their plans to redesign their website. I left her a business card, promised to add her to my mailing list, and went on my merry way. Dave was visibly relieved.

Cultivate regular people. Many of my clients tell me that they don't enjoy networking mixers because everybody's selling and nobody's buying. If this is true for you, consider cultivating regular people—people you encounter in your everyday or non-work life, such as store owners, church members or golfing buddies. Regular people can be a great source of referrals because they know you best. Most of the time, all you have to do is ask.

Talk about what you do. Do you dread weddings because you're afraid someone's going to ask what you do? Be prepared! Write out one or two sentences that describe your services and the major benefits you offer to your clients. Then practice until it rolls right out of your mouth. Next time someone asks you what you do, you'll have something intelligent to say, and you never know where it will take you.