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No matter how much work you do on social media or how well-developed your website is, networking can still be of value to you—especially if you sell commercial lines of insurance, where your prospects are used to attending networking events and meeting the people they do business with in these venues. Still, networking isn’t a skill that comes easily to everyone—even seasoned insurance salespeople. Here are a few tips for those who want to get the most out of these events.

Go for quality, not quantity. It might sound counter-intuitive, but often people get the best results from networking events by talking to the one or two right people in the room—rather than trying to make more shallow connections with lots of people.

True, you might get your business cards in the hands more people if you’re a social butterfly, but that doesn’t mean you’ll make a positive business connection or stay in the memories of all those people. If you take the time to find out who the few people are in the room who might have the most urgent need for a line of insurance you sell, and then take the time to make an impression with those people, you’re likely to get more out of the event.

Know what you’ll say ahead of time. This doesn’t mean scripting out whole conversations. It means keeping a few openers in mind to start a conversation. This can be particularly helpful for those who are less extroverted, and who might get stressed out in large, high-energy crowd situations. Knowing what you’ll say when you walk up to a group or individual can take some of the stress off.

Give yourself a time limit. You don’t have to stay for the whole event unless you want to. Networking can be stressful if you feel like you have to give up your whole evening to it. Go in with the commitment to only stay an hour or so, then leave—unless you’re really enjoying yourself and prefer to stay.

Get intros to VIPs. If a big prospect is going to be in attendance, ask a mutual acquaintance or friend to introduce you. It always goes over better to be introduced to someone as a member of their circle, even a peripheral member, than to approach them cold. Also, if the person doing the introducing is someone they respect, that will reflect well on you.

Listen more than you talk. You don’t have to monopolize every conversation—in fact, it’s better if you don’t. Instead, ask questions and really take the time to listen to the answers. Often, people will tell you things you’d never think to ask about their business, their insurance needs, and the best way to sell to them. And if you demonstrate your interest and empathy, it will make you a more attractive candidate for their business.

Networking can be exhausting, even for people who sell for a living. As an insurance agent, you can get a lot from attending networking events—but if you’re drained rather than energized by these events, it’s important to take the pressure off and work smarter, not harder. Try to make connections with a few important people in the room, rather than everyone. Set yourself a time limit if you need one, and try to get an introduction to the prospect you really want to impress. With these tips, you should be able to spend less time networking—and get more out of it.