You want to join the women-helping-women movement and you’re looking for opportunities to make deeper, more meaningful connections; opportunities to support each other, and to make the world a better place. However, just going to a conference, fundraiser or team meeting isn’t enough. You have to know what comes next—what to say or do to connect with other women in ways that yield real relationships and change lives (including yours) for the better.

Here are 10 tips to help you supercharge your new connections:

1. Make the mental shift from "What can I get from you?" to "What can we create together?" Simple as it sounds, this really is the first step and the key to successful connections. When we think of networking as a self-serving exercise, we really don’t want to do it. It feels bad. But when we infuse sharing and giving into the process, suddenly it feels good—and it works.

2. Go to functions alone. This will force you to meet people rather than spending the whole time chatting with friends and colleagues. At first, it’s really hard for some women to do this (probably most of us), but we are hardwired to connect. When you get over your initial anxiety, you will see how natural (and fun) it feels.

3. Sit beside a woman you don’t know. Like showing up alone (though perhaps a bit less scary), this will force you to get to know someone new. Be friendly: introduce yourself, introduce her to others, find something in common.

4. Have three or four good go-to questions in the bag. This will be a huge help in case a conversation grinds to a halt. (Awkward!) It doesn’t matter what the questions are, but you might consider thought-provokers like, "If time and money were no object, what would you be doing right now?" or, "What is one goal you’d like to accomplish before you die?" or, "What have you done lately that was fun?"

5. Practice being interested rather than interesting. The old style of networking involved a lot of selling your skills and showcasing your knowledge. Resist the urge. Instead, when you’re talking to someone new, ask her about herself and really listen to her answers.

6. Probe for people’s passions. Then stick to that topic for a while. You can tell when someone is excited about a subject. Her eyes light up. Her voice gets animated. When this happens—whether it happens when she mentions snow skiing, Civil War history, or helping African women support their villages—keep the conversation going along these lines. Passion is a powerful energy source for making connections.

7. Read three relevant articles before the event. If you are at, say, a business convention, you might want to scour the trades for new trends, products, and processes. This gives you fodder for discussion. The idea isn’t to use it to show off or impress the other person, but to bolster your own confidence, which makes you comfortable enough to connect.