Well summer's nearly over and unfortunately it will be remembered for the G8 and G20 summits hosted here in Ontario. The world watched while the most powerful and influential global leaders get together to chit chat on our dime while police cars burned. I don't know about you but a private networking session isn't how I'd invest a billion dollars of other people's money.

Networking usually costs far less and produces far better results if you know how to do it. Fortunately, there was a comparatively inexpensive alternative before all the summit madness called the World Connects Summit/Forum. This inaugural event focused on bringing together people who are serious about building their businesses and discovering new opportunities.

How much would you invest to expand your circle of influence in a room full of wealthy people looking for other ways to generate income and wealth?

Well many people spent $500 for the opportunity to dine with our former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. You can bet that these people were serious about creating success. Now that's money well spent to talk up your business and do it without any conflicts of interest (sorry but I couldn't help myself).

We've all been to many types of meetings in order to expand our network among other investors, industry professionals, and professional organizations. By now you've likely realized that networking is purely a numbers game.

It can be difficult to meet the right people because most people don't know how to network. Asking for a business card is the easy part. But what you do with that information after you leave?

This is what separates savvy investors from the rest. The real value of this information is not the card itself, but in the list that we create from it.

A good contact list takes time and money to build, but its real power makes every minute spent networking worth it. It comes down to one thing - influence! To have it you must first have credibility.

So the real question is how do you develop credibility? By nurturing your lists.

In other words you have to build relationships with the people you meet by communicating with them. Like it or not, you must have a relationship with someone in real estate before they'll trust you enough to give you their money to invest.

The first thing we should do after meeting someone is to reach out to them the next day to say "Hello!" This is the most important step in creating a lasting relationship from the brief contact you've shared with someone. It doesn't always work out but it won't happen without it.

Your main objective is to open the lines of communication and let your new acquaintance get to know you. They may not reciprocate but hopefully they've expressed some interest in what you do.

This is usually enough to create a captive audience that wants to hear what you have to say and learn about what you do. It's also where the energy of your network begins to generate its power.

As these people listen and learn you not only gain credibility, they begin to trust you. Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship because not much happens without it.

You're probably already thinking of a few people where this is true. My advice is to just accept it and move on because it will be difficult to harness this power without their full cooperation.

That sounds harsh David! Yes, and yet it is always better to channel our efforts on those who require less of it.

If we want the influence of a 'world leader' within our own network then we must tap into the power of our lists. To build your credibility then you must nurture your lists by communicating and maintaining contact with the people you meet. Do this and long, profitable relationships will usually follow.