So your business cards are printed, you've put yourself on the auction block in Monster.com's Talent Market and you're ready for the contracts to pour in. There's nothing more to do except wait for the first gig and get ready to fatten your bank account. Or is there? As an independent consultant, freelancer or free agent of any sort, you have to network to bring in the business and keep it coming.

A cornerstone of your networking strategy is the referral meeting -- any face-to-face, email or telephone interaction with someone in a position to refer business to you. In referral meetings, you let other people know what you have to offer, and you learn about contacts and connections they have that could help your business grow. A referral meeting might be a formal appointment or simply a quick encounter with someone at a conference, social occasion or anywhere else.

Targeting Referrals -- Not Targeting the Targets
A referral meeting is not a sales call or interview because you're not necessarily meeting with someone who can hire you directly. Instead, it's a meeting with someone who has leads to the people or organizations that might hire you.

Let's say you plan to devote ten hours a week to generating business (i.e. getting contracts or projects) and that you spend that time talking with ten people you've targeted who might hire you themselves. If you're lucky, maybe two or three of those people will ask you to work with them. It's more likely you'll have to meet with a lot more than ten people to get even one contract. Meeting with your targets is important when you're trying to generate business, but it's not the only thing you should be doing.

A better use of your time would be to meet with, let's say, five targets and five potential referral sources. That way, your chances of getting some business have expanded exponentially because those five referral sources can spread the word about you. It's almost like having sales reps promoting you while you spend your time doing something else -- like your actual work!

Five Rules for Getting Business through Referral Meetings

To make the most of a referral meeting, follow these five rules:

1. Do Your Homework
If the potential referral source is not someone you know well, you need to do some research on who he or she is. Consider the work that the other person does so you can talk about your own talents and accomplishments in a way that is meaningful to him or her. Also consider the other person's level of knowledge in your specialty area and make sure that the jargon you use and the degree of explanation you provide are appropriate.

2. Know What You Have to Offer
Since you're in a referral meeting to promote your services, it's essential that you articulate clearly and concisely what you have to offer. When doing that, take a tip from tried-and-true marketing principles and focus on selling the benefits, not the features. Let's say you design Web sites. Instead of describing the basics of what you do and the skills and tools you use to do it, talk about how your designs can improve people's businesses. Talk about things like increased profits and enticements that encourage repeat visitors. There's always time to get into the details of what you do and how you do it. Until then, concentrate on emphasizing the end results of your work.

3. Support Your Claims with Relevant Examples
It's not enough to make claims about your talents; you have to back up those claims with hard evidence. If your work involves a tangible product that you can bring to a referral meeting, that's great. If not, describe other clients you've had or projects you've worked on. Real stories of real accomplishments, problems solved and value added bring your talents to life and give potential employers confidence in your abilities.

4. Use Promotional Materials that Stand Out
People love props. They don't want to hear about what you can do, they want to see it. A portfolio of work samples -- as hard copy or in an electronic presentation, or both -- is a must. Also, develop brochures, flyers, information packets or other written materials to convey a professional image. When you go to a referral meeting, don't overwhelm the other person with paper or involved presentations on your laptop, but do take along enough to present yourself as a polished package. Then, to help clinch the deal, follow up by sending any additional materials you didn't deliver in person.

5. Look for Relationship-Builders
I'm sure I don't have to tell you how important it is to send a thank-you note by email, fax or snail mail after having a referral meeting (or, at minimum, make a phone call to say thanks). What may not be such a given is that you need to cultivate the relationship beyond the requisite thank-you note. Expecting business to come pouring in after a flash-in-the-pan meeting is liking faxing off one resume to one company and expecting a job offer to land in your lap.

You've got to stay in touch with your potential referral sources to remind them who you are and what you offer, to show your appreciation for any referrals they do send your way and to see how you can be of assistance to them. (True networking is a two-way street, so don't even think about cultivating a professional relationship unless you're willing to give as much as you get.) Here are some ways to stay in touch with your network and help them out as well:

• Let them know about a resource, such as a book or Web site, that they might find helpful.
• Send them an article you've read that relates to their professional or personal interests. (If it's online, send them the URL.)
• Call, write or email them progress reports and updates on your business or services.
• Consider sending out a newsletter on a regular basis that offers both relevant information and advice based on your area of expertise and updates your network on your services and successes. If you have a Web site, your newsletter can simply be a brief email about news and developments on your site.
• Notify them of events they might want to attend.
• Where ethically appropriate, give a professional courtesy discount, offering your products or services at a reduced rate to the people who are particularly supportive of your business.
• Volunteer for a charity they care about.
• Acknowledge referrals that resulted in business for you by sending a small gift or taking the referral source out for a meal or drinks.

Keep in mind that when you're developing a consulting or freelance business, seeds you plant now may not grow into full-fledged contracts for months or even years. That's why the relationship-building aspect of networking is so critical. Holding referral meetings is the first step toward a bountiful harvest.