The most effective form of marketing is word-of-mouth. But people can’t spread the word about you and your small business if they don’t know you. That’s where networking comes in. Whether it’s through a professional association for your industry, a local business group or a conference, networking offers a valuable forum for prospective customers and colleagues to learn about you and the services or products you provide. Successful networking is more than simply exchanging introductions and business cards, then waiting for someone to call. In fact, professional marketing coach Charlie Cook at www.charliecook.net said that most people waste the few …