Great quote! I wish it were mine. It isn't...it's from the Cubicle Culture column from the WSJ, July 14th, 2005. "see the article".
The originator of this quote is referring to the following story. At a networking event, two women who happened to be old friends were deep in conversation. A fresh-faced young man (who 
happened to be starting a career as a financial advisor) interrupted their talk by introducing himself to the both of them. After a long awkward silence, the young man spoke up. "Well, can I get your business cards?" he asked them. "My boss told me I could only come to this event if I collect a certain number of business cards."
Of course, this is an extreme example of the ridiculous manner of a kid that doesn't get it. Building a relationship at a networking event is not about keeping score, it's about making a connection with another person, one-to-one.
Effective networking means adopting the "networking mindset." Here are some guidelines:
- Be patient.
- Remember, networking events are not sales calls.
- Persistence pays.
- Volunteer yourself, and your time.
- Networking is referral-based marketing.
The "networking mindset" is also about quid pro quo. Literally translated from Latin, quid pro quo means "something for something." Effective networking means being prepared to Give before you Get. Trolling a room for business cards is ineffective and artificial...and people will see you coming a mile away.
Today is the birth anniversary of Ernest Hemingway who was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899. 
Hemingway's first work, In Our Time, a collection of 32 short stories, was published in 1925. Hemingway once said, "Never mistake motion with action." Good words for all of us.
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