The two components to networking are building the relationship and leveraging the relationship. If you don't build the relationship, there's nothing to leverage and it's not networking. One of the first challenges people make has to do with the person themselves. Someone meets an individual and makes an immediate assumption that either:
This person isn't worth the energy it takes to build a relationship or,
They don't know anyone's worth value.
These are totally incorrect assumptions. You'd be surprised at who knows who in your community.
When I first moved to South Florida, a friend told me to pay attention to how money moves in the community. If you have to create a networking strategy, she suggested that being where the money goes is effective. It doesn't always mean the largest companies in your city. Think of the charities and non-profits that attract attention—they're getting money too. That's where the power players are probably volunteering...