In a scenario where a sales representative is tasked with expanding their professional network within the technology sector, they decide to attend a series of industry conferences and join relevant professional organizations. After attending three conferences, they find that their networking efforts have resulted in a 25% increase in potential leads. If the representative initially had 40 potential leads before the conferences, how many potential leads do they have after their networking efforts? Additionally, which of the following strategies would best enhance their networking effectiveness in the long term?