Good listeners are perceived as good conversationalists.
Conversation takes practice; the more we do it, the better we get, and the more easily we do it.
It's not what you know or who you know, but who knows you.
Good things come to those who initiate.
Spare me the people who ask, 'Have you thought about ... losing weight, hiring an assistant, buying a Pentium, working with an etiquette specialist, coloring your hair?
The time spent identifying your base of contacts is an investment in your success and the success of others with whom you share your resources.