Almost no one enjoys cold calling. You know the odds are against you; it’s a longshot that anyone will actually need what you sell and turn into a customer. In a lot of ways, says Derek Coburn, traditional networking is just like cold calling — only more dangerous. “Cold calling is something you constantly want to avoid because of the negative reinforcement you’re getting from people. But when you go to networking events, I don’t think many people step back and say, ‘I’ve been to five or ten events this month, and I’m not even sure if it was beneficial, or a good use of my time.’ You’re going and having a glass of wine, meeting some nice people, and you never step back and say, ‘Is there something better I can be doing with my time?’” [Read more at Forbes]