“Let’s chat” used to mean gabbing on the phone with a friend or catching up over a bite to eat or favorite beverage. But the chat is no longer relegated to telling tales of mother-in-law woes or gossiping about who did what at the last convention. These days, chats, specifically the Twitter variety, help entrepreneurs and other pros connect in a relevant way with consumers, clients, and colleagues.

A Twitter chat is simply an online chat conducted via, you guessed it, the microblogging site Twitter. Each chat has a specific hashtag that helps participants follow the discussion.

The social media site is host to hundreds of regularly scheduled chat sessions that span a variety of industries and interests. Luckily, there’s a handy Google Doc called Twitter Chat Schedule, which shares info like subject, time, #hashtag, and moderator.

Here are 3 tips for Twitter chat newbies (beginners):

• Get started! Check the chat schedule to look for discussions in your industry or interest area—then put it on your calendar.
• Make participation easier with a chat tool. There are several tools (such as TweetChat.com) that make life simpler by, for example, automatically adding the discussion hashtag to each tweet you send during the event.
• Mind your manners. In ReadWriteWeb’s How to Get Started with Twitter Chats, Adam Popescu recommends thinking of the chat in the same vein as a professional online seminar or conference call—and acting accordingly.

So what are you waiting for? Jump into a Twitter chat this week, and find out how it will help you connect, contribute, and learn.