How To Make Your Next Networking Event A Success

There are people who are natural born networkers - those people that can make conversation in any situation and have no problem walking up to complete strangers. This article is for the rest of us - networking tips that help reduce the stress of attending a networking event and will have you walking away from the event with prospects.

Look into and attend local networking events. Of course it isn’t enough to just attend the event you must actually actively participate and “network”.

Here are some tips on making your networking event a success:

•Show your interest by making eye contact when meeting new people.

•Smile – A friendly face is inviting.

•Don’t be afraid to approach people you don’t know. Extend a handshake and say "Hello, I don't think we have met.”

•Don’t spend the evening, talking with people you already know and don’t attend the event with a “friend.” You will less likely to strike up conversations with strangers if you can stay “safe” with your friend.

•Focus on the person you are meeting. Ask what they do – be genuinely curious about their business.

•Listen - be attentive and interested in the other person.

•Be ready and Know what you do. Rehearse your 30 second answer before hand but make sure you don’t sound like a pre-recorded message.

•Set goals before you go. For example: Set number of contacts you would like to make. If you can get a guest list prior to attending, know who you want to meet.

•Look your best. Dress appropriately for the event and make sure you are neat, clean and have fresh breath. (If there are refreshments available avoid garlic and onions)

•Ask for a business card. Make sure you get the information you need to make further contact. A good trick is to wear something with good pockets. Keep business cards collected in one pocket and your business cards to hand out in another. This will save you from having to shuffle through your cards.

•Be prepared with dead air questions in case there are pauses in the conversation. "How long have you belonged to this organization?" "What are these events usually like?" "How can I help promote your business?" "Can I refer clients to you?"

•Take a spot near the entry door. Greet attendees as they arrive and welcome them to the event. After learning about the attendees you will be in the position to make introductions around the room. Make yourself the unofficial host and everyone will remember you the next day!

•The most important tip is to FOLLOW -Up with everyone you meet at the event. Send off a personalized note or make a phone call to invite good prospects for a coffee.

Building Business Relationships in a Roomful of Strangers

You approach a stranger at an association meeting or industry conference with you arm outstretched and say: “Hi. My name is…..” And you’re off and running.

There’s an art to successful networking and business development. Rather than just exchange pleasantries you can gather information, gain allies, and explore potential opportunities. Here are ten tips to help you connect with people immediately, develop meaningful conversations and move on to profitable relationships.

1. Come prepared. Have two or three openers that you can use with a variety of people you meet. That way, you won’t fumble for something to say when you first meet someone. Some examples: “What drew you here today? “Have you seen any good movies lately?” “What did you find particularly interesting about the presentation?”
2. Do your homework. Before attending a meeting or networking event, find out the names and backgrounds of key people who will be there. Also note any recent achievements that they have attained. When you arrive, look for someone official and request an introduction to one of them. Offer your congratulations and ask a question that will get them talking about their background or achievement.
3. Create an agenda. People often dread small talk situations because they say, “I don’t have anything to talk about” or “I don’t know what to talk about.” Actually the problem is that there have too much to talk about—an entire universe of topics—not nothing to say. Narrow down your conversation options by making two lists.

On the get list put what you want to find, understand or learn more about. Maybe it’s connections into xyz company, or where to get inexpensive office supplies, or recommendation for the best Mexican restaurant in town.

On your give list put your ideas, areas of expertise, hobbies, people you know, ideas for weekend jaunts with kids, your experience on developing a company website or a great article on bringing down the cost of doing business, etc.

Going into a room with a prepared agenda---information you want to get and information you are happy to give---provides a focus for your networking and a direction for your conversations.

4. Enter a room confidently. Next time you’re at a social or business gathering, notice how people come into a room. Do they come in head high, smiling, and upbeat or eyes down, serious and scared? Are they sending out signals that say: “I’m approachable” or “Don’t talk to me.” When you enter a room, what signals do you send out to others?
5. Listen and learn. Once you’ve asked your opening question, listen patiently to the person’s answer. Allow the speaker to elaborate without rushing to jump in. Be thinking, “What can I give to this person? What’s on my agenda?”
6. Focus your attention. Avoid the canned nod-and-smile approach with eyes roaming the room to see who else is there. Continue to ask engaging questions. If you’re friendly and genuinely curious, others will feel comfortable talking with you.
7. Find common ground. Only after the person has told “his story”, then share your thoughts and experiences. If you find something you both can relate to, that establishes a bond that can lead to further exchanges. Be open to the magic of where the conversation can take you.
8. Ask for their help. Most people enjoy helping others. Therefore what is it that you want to “get”? Use your agenda to find someone who has written an article you’ve enjoyed, or can introduce you to the speaker, or give you ideas for your upcoming project.
9. Show appreciation. At some point, you will feel that it’s time to move on because the discussion is winding down or perhaps the event is starting. Don’t leave abruptly. Rather, acknowledge the conversation and the help you’ve received. “It's been good to talk with you. Thanks for the job lead. I plan to call him tomorrow.” Or, “Glad to have met you and to hear about the upcoming conference.”
10. Explain the next step. If you want to continue the relationship, conclude with what you're going to do next or what you expect of the other person.

    “I'll send you that article tomorrow.”
    “I'll see you at the next meeting.”
    “Let’s set up a time when we can get together to go over the program.”

Preparation, a focused agenda, active listening, and an adventuresome attitude are the keys to successfully meeting and greeting a roomful of strangers. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Marcia Zidle, a business and leadership development expert, works with entrepreneurial organizations who want to be a dominant player in competing for customers, clients, funding or community awareness.

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy say, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Well business, government and community leaders, Marcia says, “It’s no longer business as usual anymore; its business that has to better than usual.”

Power Business Networking: Getting Your Name Out There!

Today’s economy presents some very special challenges to people who are unemployed, underemployed, or who are simply trying to give their own business venture a shot in the arm. At times, the job search can seem daunting, if not impossible, as it takes quite a bit of encouragement – and creativity – to keep pressing forward. A highly flexible [power] networking plan is important – one that requires “out of the box” thinking in order to increase your chances of securing desired employment.

The following is a list of options to pursue in order to launch a successful personal marketing plan, which is what networking is all about. Most will cost you little or nothing to implement and for the cash strapped person that can be a real help. I wrote these suggestions for business flight attendants who, understandably, have suffered much since the 2001 terrorist attacks. You can easily modify the suggestions for your particular field of interest.

1. Attend aviation job fairs [carry plenty of business cards and copies of your résumé with you].

2. Join an employment support group.

3. List your résumé with an agency.

4. Create an online résumé for additional exposure.

5. Go to retirement parties of former associates.

6. Become your local airport’s liaison to the surrounding community.

7. Attend a catering class.

8. Form a networking group in your area.

9. Go to conventions.

10. Attend other aviation related meetings [medical seminars, safety and security symposiums, dinners, golf outings, barbecues, fund raisers, 10K races].

11. Serve on an aviation related committee as a volunteer.

12. Volunteer for the Corporate Angel Network.

13. Accept other types of employment within your target company [i.e., dispatcher, sales, customer service, etc.].

14. Write an article about some aspect of corporate aviation and publish it online.

15. Organize a wine tasting seminar in your area or approach a local caterer/vineyard about being aviation’s representative to their business [be prepared to offer plenty of free publicity for them].

16. Work temporarily for a caterer specializing in inflight service.

17. Start a part time business by selling a product that corporate aviators need.

18. Finally, for the savvy [some would say nervy] flight attendant the following type of suggestion could produce dividends: Hang out at the local after work watering hole where aviation folks gather. Learn the language [culture] of the company; find out who the movers and shakers are, etc.

Some people might accuse you of being a shameless self promoter, as if you had a contagious disease. Let them think the worst of you while they sit at home fretting about work and while you are winging your way to points hither and yon!

Do not be deterred, but start thinking outside the parameters you [or others] have imposed on yourself; your goal is employment and your name is golden – as such, gold must be prominently displayed in order to command the proper attention [employment] that it so richly deserves!

Effective Business Networking: 5 Tips For Mastering The Art of Networking

The heart of any business is the connection it has with other businesses and individuals that it can call upon to help meet its needs. Networking - any activity designed to create, maintain and utilize interpersonal connections - is an essential business skill. But not all business people take the time to truly master. However, without a solid understanding of how to network effectively and efficiently, no business can make the vital connections that it needs to survive and prosper in today's super-connected economy. Here are some tips you can use to increase your networking - and business - success

Go with a goal. One of the first and most common mistakes that people make when entering a networking situation (planned or otherwise) is to fail to have a firm goal in mind. Are you looking to acquire new prospects, meet colleagues for possible collaborations, create a mutual referral partnership, create name recognition for you and your business, find funding or just "shop around" for interesting news and trends you can use? If you haven't taken the time to determine what your goals are for the encounters ahead, you will have a hard time meeting them.

Of course, most businesses have several different needs, but in many cases any given networking opportunity is unlikely to provide more than one or two types of results, depending on the situation at hand. For example, if you are attending an event made up primarily of others in your industry or trade, you are unlikely to meet prospects, since everyone will be a provider just like you, nor are you likely to find referral partners, since almost everyone will be a direct competitor. So if your primary needs are clients and referrals, such events, while not an entire waste of time, might not be your best use of it. On the other hand, if you are desperately seeking a partner to expand or are looking to find out the latest, greatest technology in the field to offer to your client base, then you're definitely going to be in the right place.

Hone your message. When someone asks you what you do, can you articulate not only your business but it's benefit to them in a clear and concise manner? How about your "elevator speech" or 15-second intro - is it crisp, to the point and compelling, or do people's eyes glaze over before you get to the end? This is not the time to give a dry and deadly-dull job description. Save that for your resume. When someone asks about you and your business, you are being given a golden, but brief, opportunity to knock his or her socks off and to persuade them that you are the best thing to happen to them since sliced bread. Make sure you do so.

Important - leave your sales pitch at home! Networking is networking, and sales is sales. Confuse the two and you'll lose out on both. Nobody wants to be sold to, especially when they're quite plainly not in a sales environment. And remember that anyone who tries to work a networking event under the "three-foot rule" (anyone within three feet is an opportunity to make a sale) is likely to find others unwilling to get within three feet of them in a very short period of time.

Check your gear. Make sure that you have everything you need to make a great impression. Are your business cards or other hand-outs up to date, and as professional-looking as you can make them? If this is a planned event, do you know who will be attending and have you isolated a few people you definitely want to make sure to meet, or are you going in blind and resigned to winging it?

And don't forget to double-check the time, date and venue. Nothing is more irritating than showing up only to find that you're too early, too late or unable to find a parking space closer than a quarter-mile away.

Educate your audience. Are you seeking a collaborative partner for a project? Then make sure everyone knows what the project is and what sort of partner you are looking for (and the general parameters of the partnership they'll be investing their time into). If you're looking for referrals, then do your potential referral sources know what constitutes a good referral for you? It's a waste of your time and a drain on your referrer's good will and reputation if you turn down or do a bad job for everyone they send to you because the referrals were inappropriate. Likewise, a well-educated referral source might wind up sending you fewer referrals, but those are much more likely to be quality prospects that have a high probability of becoming solid clients.

On the other hand, if you are directly prospecting do your prospects know that you're the answer to their prayers and why? Remember that all prospects are tuned into station WII-FM - What's In It For Me - and unless you make sure that they know why they should consider working with you, they won't.

Follow through. The most important part of networking happens after the initial contact. The best impression, the snappiest laser marketing message and the deepest desire to work together will all come to naught if they don't hear from you in a timely manner - or even worse, never hear from you at all. No matter who said what about calling whom, always follow up promptly and in a manner designed to strengthen the relationship and add value for the other person.

A simple follow-up email may be okay for old contacts touching base, but for a new contact that can provide you with crucial funding or superior referrals, or a hot prospect itching to clear your warehouse of your top-shelf merchandise your follow through needs to have all the finesse, power and elegance of a figure skater's best jump - and all the holding power of a solid landing.

There are three keys to an effective follow through:

• It reinforces the original intent of the contact. Refer to your original conversation, restating any key points and reaffirming any agreements that were made or intimated. Follow through on any promises you made to deliver information, provide samples, initiate a meeting, put through a request, whatever - before the follow-up call, unless time constraints or lead-time make that impossible.
• It carries the scent of enthusiasm without the stench of desperation. Follow up as promptly and as regularly or frequently as the circumstance warrants, but don't turn into a stalker or a pest. And if you can find a way to add value to the relationship through your skills, influence, position or connections, by all means offer to do so, but don't cross the line from generous associate to obsequious sycophant. And if the other person makes it clear that they are not interested, move on. "Kicking and screaming" is not an acceptable level of participation in networking, and neither is "beaten into submission."
• It includes the seeds for the next contact. Don't get caught in the dead-end follow up. Unless it is clear that no further relationship is warranted or desired, make sure that there is some agreement on a next step or arrangement made to continue the conversation. Make that phone call and at the end, set up an appointment for lunch a few weeks down the road. At lunch, offer to forward an important report or offer to broker a desirable introduction to someone higher up the food chain, and so on. Make sure you never leave the table without an invitation to resume your seat at a later date.

Like a good golf swing or a stunning presentation, effective networking boils down to three essential stages of activity: preparation, delivery and follow through. And like an electrical circuit with a short or a break, a failure at any of these points stops the flow of life-giving connective energy - the healthy and continually renewed cycle of which your business requires to maintain a strong, stable potential for growth, resilience and success.

Mastering the art of effective networking, like any other business activity, requires time, dedication and attention. But in the end, the dividends it pays are well worth the time it took to cultivate them. Take the time to master these five tips and you will be amply rewarded with the prodigious fruits of your networking labor.

Effective Business Networking

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed, and eventually receiving an offer for employment starts with networking. By networking I don’t mean sending out hundreds of copies of your résumé unsolicited to H.R. managers throughout the country, but by establishing contacts with people who may be in a position to hire you or refer you to someone who is in the position of hiring... you!

In my area of expertise, corporate aviation, there are several key players as well as smaller, less known operators. Jet Aviation, TAG Aviation, and Netjets are some of the larger companies and they all have a staff of qualified flight attendants or cabin service representatives on hand. In addition, smaller players including Pacific Jet, Clay Lacy Aviation, and New World Aviation are part of the charter market. Finally, you have a whole host of independent flight departments with one or two or more aircraft. Some of these operators utilize larger cabin aircraft and are in need of flight attendants. You could send out a copy of your résumé to every single company that flies a Falcon, Gulfstream, Bombardier, BBJ, or any of the other larger cabin jets. You may get an interview, but you’ll also spend an excessive amount of time researching names, addresses, paying for postage, paper and more. Instead, the best way to land a job according to Richard Bolles, author of the acclaimed job hunters and career builders guide, “What Color is Your Parachute?” is through networking.

Networking involves making plenty of people contact. Some of the best ways of having contact with others is at a convention [in our case, the NBAA Flight Attendant Conference or NBAA general conference]; over the internet via message boards [such as this one]; while flying a trip as a contractor; working for a company in another role [e.g., as a dispatcher, flight manager, etc.]; or through a friend already in the business.

Successful people establish a list of contacts from the smallest lead [e.g., a receptionist or switchboard operator at a charter operator] to doing voluntary work on an association’s newsletter or with a steering committee for the same type of organization. Each person you come into contact with is a potential person who may know of someone in the business or know of a job opening. Conversely, unsuccessful people rely too much on waiting for a phone call, for an answer to an unsolicited letter, or by not going out to meet people face to face. Quite simply it takes a lot of phone calling, pavement pounding, and other forms of action to land the job that you want. Plus, it takes someone with dedication, professionalism, zeal, enthusiasm, confidence, and a caring attitude to help make things work. If you are not confident of your abilities, you will have a much more difficult time landing a job.

Before you establish contact with anyone it is extremely important to have a top notch résumé. Make sure that there are no spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, that it is formatted professionally, printed on bond paper and that you include correct contact information such as your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. You can be the most talented person in the world, but your résumé could look awful. Busy employers look at résumés and toss the unprofessional looking ones away [or they file it away for a predetermined amount of time]. You also need: three top notch references [don’t list them on your résumé, but be able to furnish them upon request]. Emergency training is very important to have – agencies such as Jet Professionals insist on it; most of the larger operators require it as well. Additional training including galley services, a wine class, emergency training, can all help you out.

Finally, when you do receive a call -- even if unexpected – be prepared to interview on the spot. Most interviewers will screen you on the first call and you will need to sound sharp as well as be focused. Be prepared to give a concise background on who you are and what you can offer the company. Do not focus on your needs, but focus on the company’s needs and how you will benefit them. Do not expect them to be thrilled by your focusing on yourself. This business isn’t about you -- it is about the customers and the company. Successful candidates know this and they are the ones who will be hired, trained, paid well, and otherwise be perceived as being an asset and not a possible detriment to the company.

Volunteering for a Networking Group

When is it appropriate to volunteer to take a position in the group?

Have you heard the saying that "the fastest way to get anything done is to ask a busy person"? It is very true. What it actually boils down to is the fact that busy people are often very well organized and have the ability to delegate some of their tasks. A busy person can usually fit more into their schedule than most people. For example, I am working a full time job which takes at least 55 hours a week, plus I am completing studies for a doctoral degree. That seems like a busy person but that is not all I have on my plate: I also own a company that provides sales process consulting, I volunteer as the Historian for my Rotary District, I make time to exercise twice daily, I tend to my family and write books. On top of all this I still have time to volunteer for committee work at the Chamber of Commerce and spend time with my family. How do I accomplish so much? I organize my day and my week ahead of time and slot everything into its place.

I feel that when you volunteer for an organization, it is your opportunity to put something back instead of always taking; it has its own rewards and it brings in more business. It is an opportunity to lead, support and nurture a group.

Busy people will often have more than most can handle and they still take on more; one might surmise that they belong to an overachievers club. Although this may be true, we can all learn from their organizational skills. It is through their work ethic that they are able to form great business relationships. Busy people can still say no if they have too much on their plate.

Measuring Value for a Business Networking Group

How do you measure a group’s worth to your organization?

It is sometimes necessary to measure the value of a group. You may be asking yourself why you would want to measure the value of a group whose purpose is business. You would want to measure the price of membership vs. the business you will get out of the group through either referrals or direct business with members. There are several ways that the measurement can be taken. First, you will need to assess the current membership. You should develop a scale of 1 to 10 and give each member a rating based on a set of predefined criteria. What criteria should you use? That will depend entirely on your goals for belonging to the group. For example, if you are selling services for repairing computers, you may rate members by the number of computers they have at the workplace, and you may also add a factor for who they are currently using on the servicing side. It is best to define at least 3 criteria for a sampling of the members. You will not want to measure every member, but a small cross-section will do. Second, you should measure the amount of business each member (or a sample of members) has received by joining the group. You may also want to know how much business they do with other group members as well.

Once you have the measurements, these same criteria should be applied to each of the groups you are interested in. Next you will want to do a comparison of the groups and then make your selection based on facts rather than emotion.

Now that you have thought out and used a measurement tool for deciding the value of a group, you will want to test as many groups as possible. You may decide to join only those groups that measure in the top 20% of your scale. One thing you may want to consider is the time and place of the meeting. Your calendar must be open and flexible enough to deal with attendance requirements.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com

What a Leads Exchange Group can do for You

What is the definition of a leads exchange and how does it differ from other groups?

So what is a leads exchange? A leads exchange comes in several flavors; first the exchange usually has exclusivity restrictions so that you remain loyal to only one group. This way the printer and the chiropractor that belong to this group will only think of you for a particular service or product. They will essentially promote your business as part of the membership requirement: to generate leads for others as well as get leads in exchange. These types of groups are plentiful and can work for you or against you. If you have done your homework and the group is active in the areas that you would like to be known, then this type of group will work well for you. If you work in an unusual business, it may be more difficult for others to find leads for you. This type of group will expect that you have defined your best customer and have given them the tools they need to seek out business in that area.

The best way to work this type of group is to generate many leads for others in the group. Once they know you are out to make the most of this, they will bend over backwards to ensure that you get enough leads so that you will continue to be an outstanding member of the group. They know that if you are dissatisfied, it is likely you will look elsewhere and take your great lead generation ability to another rival group. The more you give, the more you will get in this environment.

Leads exchanges provide many opportunities, but there is also some disadvantages to belonging. If you are focusing on your own business, then generating leads for others is a definite distracter. This can work to your disadvantage if generating leads for others is your only way to get leads from others. If you go about generating your own leads, you may uncover something that can be fulfilled by another member’s business. The important thing to remember is that there is always a cost to joining a group.

Ask for What YOU Want and Gain More Business

Why ask others for help and what do you gain from it?

What does asking for help have to do with creating business relationships and making announcements? It has everything to do with it. You have made announcements, donated items, created an awareness of who you are and what you do. You are now in the position of getting more business than you can handle, or worse, not getting enough business in the community. You should then be able to call on prospective customers and ask for their time to help you solve a particular problem. The problem must be one that they will be able to help you solve before you ask for their time. For example, you could call a business and ask them if they could help you answer some questions about handling a situation you have and that you know they have handled well in the past. You will almost always get a yes to setting the meeting.

You should never hesitate in asking others for advice or help on something you say they do well. The person you talk to is impressed and their ego is stroked in a way that is positive. It is a good basis to form a great business relationship. On the negative side, however, you should never come across as being too needy. The needier you seem, the more it will turn off the relationship. You will also find that there are a number of groups in your community that support businesses, such as TEC or the Alliance of CEOs; you should look into other ways to solve problems and gain contacts at the same time.

Gaining outside insights will also put you a leg up when being sought out as a business partner for a project. If you have a give and take rapport with your business relationships, then you will have a great foundation for being accepted and being in the position of being recommended to others. You are, after all, in a big race to win the business.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.

Defining a Quality Networking Group

When it comes to quality, how do you choose the group that matches your expectations?

Defining a quality group is not as easy as it looks. You first need to conduct the research into meetings, type of attendance etc. The next thing you want to know is the size of the group. Size does count as a smaller group will not often have enough leads for each individual. You should also make sure that the level of the person belonging to the group is at the appropriate place. By level we mean: is the person belonging to the group an influencer on decisions or are they the person that makes the actual decisions? Often with these groups, it is the salesperson that attends, and they can only suggest something to the decision makers. The decision maker does not necessarily need to be the CEO, but it is likely that they are part of the administrative executive. Do not waste your time with groups that do not have access to the decision makers.

Influencers can have some effect, but in the long run, if they cannot get you in front of the decision maker, you are most likely wasting your time. Be picky about the quality of the group you may eventually join; if you are to bring leads in and they are to offer you leads, make sure the quality of the group is where you need it to be. For example, do not expect high level consulting business from a printer-paper salesperson. It is not likely they will know who you need to know.

Even though quality is important in a group, quality can be found in various types of groups that you will come across. Quality may be defined in several ways. First is the quality of the attendees and the level of decision making they have in an organization. Second is the quality of the leads that are generated by the attendees. The leads need to be of some value and they need to include an introduction to the company needing your services. Let's take a closer look at some of the types of groups that could possibly fit your needs.

Group Survey

Name of the group

______________________________________________________________

Where does the group meet?

______________________________________________________________

Day and time of meetings (is it weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly?)

______________________________________________________________

Group Size ___________________________________________________

How many people do you know in the group? __________________

Group Focus _________________________________________________

Decision Making Level of the participants

______________________________________________________________

Are there exclusivity requirements? ___________________________

Number of Leads expected:

Receive in a month __________ Give in a month ________________

Further Comments

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite, She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”.

Article Marketing Tips to Generate Free Traffic for Your Network Marketing or Home Business Today

Article Marketing is One of the Best FREE Internet Marketing Techniques on the Internet Today for Network Marketers & Home Business Owners

This is a great way to promote yourself, value and experience to your audience. By adding article marketing to your mix you can generate traffic for your network marketing and home business.

Once you have an article written where YOU are the author, you become an instant authority. When people find your article, read it and get some good information from it, they appreciate you. That appreciation quickly grows into trust and when they click the link in your article resource box to visit your website, they will be much more likely to sign up with you in one of your recommended business opportunities or buy one of your recommended products.

Option 1: Write Your Own Articles

The main benefits of writing your own articles are: it is **free**, you can implement this into your daily routine and have more articles working for you and you will also have the sense of accomplishment.

A simple routine to do is to allocate and set a side 15-30 minutes daily to write an article and submit them to article directories on the internet (resources listed below). You can have your daily article submitted to several directories and within one year you will have 365 articles is several places with your information tagged onto the bottom of the article. This daily habit will generate traffic for you for years to come.

Sometimes when considering this form of marketing and advertising it is easy to get hung up on what to write. It is easy to believe that you may not have something of value to offer and you hold back. You do have something of value to offer. Perish the thought because you do have something of value to offer. There are several areas that you already have expanded your areas of expertise to share with others.

Another way to continually write articles daily and offer value and resources to your readers is to continually expand your own areas of knowledge in marketing, mindset, communication and other areas that you are passionate about.

Remember, the more links you get on quality websites pointing back to you, the more money you will make online.

It's really that simple.

Plus, once you get one of YOUR ARTICLE published on someone else's blog or website, that article and the links within it are probably going to remain there FOREVER. The article will be working for you forever. Getting your articles published on other people's websites is 100% FREE advertising for life.

Option 2: Have someone else write articles for you.

You simply may not feel comfortable writing their own articles. You may feel like that you do not have enough knowledge or value to share with others or you may feel like you do not enjoy writing. You should not let any of these factors stop you.

However, there are great sources available to you to have articles written for you.

justarticles.com is a great source. You can choose how many articles you want written, the topic and length of the article. Keep your article 300-450 words per article.

Implement article writing and submission as a part of your marketing system today. Consistency and persistency always pays. If you set a side anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour daily to write an article that offering value and service to others and submit them to one or a few directories.

This one simple and small habit can add a viral marketing effect to your business over the internet. Within one year you will have 356 articles out on the internet.

OK, now that you have your article, let's put it to work so you can get 100% FREE ADVERTISING FOR LIFE!!!

5 Ways to Increase Your Value In Yourself to Explode Your Home Business or MLM Enterprise

95% of owning your home business or network marketing enterprise success is your mindset.Yes of course there are additional skill sets to master. i.e. Marketing & Communication.

However, in order for you to stay in the game long enough and gain the necessary skills sets for your enterprise it is extremely important need to continually invest in yourself You are the CEO of your life and your enterprise. Your most valuable asset that you can enhance is your mind. You have so much talent that is and will be developed by applying the 5 ways to increase the value in yourself.

There are 5 great daily habits you can incorporate into your life today. Make a decision to weave these habits into your life. Start off small and then increase the time in each category. An example of starting small is investing 5-10 minutes in each area and then increasing the time. Do not try to take on each area and too much time. It is better to increase the time and speed as you go along.

1.) Dream

It is easy to lose sight of your dreams if you do not continuously focus on them. Have your dream board in front of you, have books of homes and vacations surrounding you. Cut out pictures of yourself and your family and put it all over your future pictures. Take time every morning and evening for 10-15 minutes and visualize yourself living in your future today. Feel your future today.

See yourself being with your family during the day full time, taking 3 vacations a year, driving around country in a motor home, traveling the world, fine dining, having the time and money freedom. Define what is important to you and keep the pictures in front of you. This will assist you to press on when you are figuring out the technical side of your business. Commit to being a lifetime dreamer and never give up. Your dreams are your fuel for your tank to propel forward. Challenges are inevitable. However your dreams will fuel you to the live life on your terms.

2.) Books – Books – Books

Read, Read, Read – Read as much as possible. Decide in the beginning of the week which books you are committed to getting through by the end of the week. Are you reading 1, 2 or 3 books this week? Take each book and the number of pages, then divide the number of pages by 7 and commit to getting through each section before going to sleep that night. This habit will change your life. You cannot help but move on the outside when you are changing on the inside.

It is easy to neglect this habit while you are working on your marketing and other aspects of your business. However this one of the most important consistent habits that will change your life. Remember start small. If you are not used to reading start off by reading 10 pages a night. It is great to read first thing in the morning and right before you are going to sleep.

3.) Audios – Audios - Audios

Audios in addition to books will add to your lifetime education. Your mind is so powerful and so important to feed. You are what you feed your mind and you definitely become what you think about.

Commit to listening to one audio cd daily. Make a decision to listen to an audio. Add this to your routine. You do not necessarily have to set a side one hour. You can listen to an audio while you are getting ready in the morning, working out, driving your car or while you are doing things around the house. It is amazing how you can turn an activity that you are currently doing into a productive growth hour of your day.

4.) Association

Since you are in the home based industry or network marketing you are used to hearing that you should be careful of your association. You will become like the 5 people you surround yourself by. Negativity can be draining. Be careful of close friends and family that try to steal your dreams. It is important to be very alert and aware of the people you are surrounded by. Of course you cannot completely eliminate all the negative people in your life. However, you can eliminate the time you spend with certain friends if they are draining. Be careful of dream stealers.

Remember your mind is powerful and it is important to have dreamers and big thinkers in your life. This is critical especially if you work from home. Make sure you have a like-minded group/environment. You are your environment. Design your environment with powerful, incredible, uplifting friends and big thinkers.

5.) Seminars – Seminars – Seminars

In addition to your company functions and events decide in the beginning of the year how many seminars you will attend. Make a decision once that books, cds and seminars will be a part of your growth plan.

Find local seminars or schedule flying out a few times a year to attend seminars. It will pay big dividends in the long run. Your life will dramatically change when you invest in yourself. As T. Harv Eker would say invest a certain percentage of your income into your education including books, cds and seminars.

You are the CEO of your life and your business. You have the ability to increase your value in yourself which will dramatically increase the value you offer to your others. You have the potential to change and impact hundreds and thousands of lives. Make a decision today to make these principles and habits a part of your everyday life.

Make a decision to stand for something great and live the life of your dreams. You deserve to have a life of abundance.

Commit to these habits and your life will dramatically change over the next few years. Change, growth and success is a journey, not a destination. The changes in your life including your income and lifestyle are a direct proportion the change, growth, and value in yourself.

Commit and make a decision today that you will make it happen and live the life of your dreams.

Why Is It So Easy To Quit A Network Marketing Business?

97.5 percent of people quit Network Marketing within one year of joining. Is this industry too easy to quit or too hard to succeed?

As a general rule, Network marketing is relatively inexpensive to join. However, in comparison to purchasing a business or a franchise, mlm businesses are incredibly inexpensive. Could this be a leading factor why 97.5 percent quit? It is definitely a contributing factor. It is almost impossible to walk away from a franchise that you purchased for $250,000. But after working a network marketing business for six months and investing $1,000, it is not so hard to walk away.

However, because it is relatively inexpensive to join, it is amazing to me why the industry has not yet taken over as a major means of distribution compared to retail. Are people scared to get involved with network marketing? Are there an abundance of individuals that think network marketing is some kind of scam? Are there people that think all home based businesses are scams? Well, if there is, these people need to get over it.

Network marketing will undoubtedly become a major distribution channel of goods and services over the next ten years. And one day, it will rival the major retailers for market share. Manufacturers are tired of dealing with retailers that demand annual price reductions, better and more service, and longer payment terms. More and more companies each year are introducing their products through network marketing channels. As this occurs, more people will get involved in network marketing and the costs to join will most likely increase over time. However, so will the success rate if individuals learn to properly advertise their business using modern methods.

The biggest factor in the 97.5 percent failure rate is that network marketers are told to recruit their family and friends. The target market for network marketers is the abundance of people out there wanting to join, but cannot find the right company with the right products with the right compensation plan with the proper training.

A major reason why network marketing has a bad reputation is the high failure rate. However, in life, 2% of the individuals in the world own more than 50% of the world's wealth. Most things in life follow the 80/20 rule, and network marketing is no different.

In order to increase their success rate, network marketers need to diversify. What do I mean? Network marketers should join more than one company, especially if the products in the second company are training and tools to help the first one grow. And, if these tools can be taught and utilized by other network marketers, then you will substantially increase your chances of survival. Then, quitting will not be an easy option.

Social Networking - What Is It And Why Your Business Needs It

Social networking. Social marketing. Web 2.0.

You may have heard these terms bandied about and wondered what exactly they are and (more importantly) what they mean for your business.

So let's dig right in and get some answers. First, some definitions.

Social networking is actually a pretty broad term. It basically means any type of relationship-building amongst a group of people with a common interest (business or personal). However, that term has taken on a whole new dimension online, where social networking sites (MySpace, Linked In, Facebook) are popping up faster than you can say "Will you be my friend?"

These Web sites are designed around helping people network and build relationships via online, instead of the more traditional face-to-face networking meetings.

Which leads us to Web 2.0. No, it's not a technical upgrade of the Web (I can hear all the sighs of relief as people everywhere realize they don't need to be downloading or learning new software). Rather, it's a new way to use the technical aspects of the Web to build better relationships with people. So it includes blogging, podcasts, social networking sites, video, webinars, etc.

Actually, what it really is is a shift in mindset. Rather than using these tools because they're cool new tech gadgets, we're using them to bring a more human element to the Web.

Now social marketing is used interchangeably as social networking, but that's actually a misnomer (according to Wikipedia). Social marketing is an old term, which refers to marketing for the good of society or for social causes and has nothing to do with any of this.

So, back to social networking. This is wonderful news for business owners out there because it fits right in with how customers buy. Namely, people buy from people they know, like and trust. So building relationships using Web 2.0 techniques is a fabulous marketing strategy.

And many Web 2.0 techniques are either free or very low cost. All the social networking sites have free accounts (some have paid upgrades, but it's still low). Podcasting can be free (or you can pay a very low fee to do the recording via the phone). Blogging can be free. You get the picture.

Now there is a downside. The downside is it does take time. So if you're already feeling overwhelmed and frazzled, yes this could feel like another huge to-do on your list.

Which is why I'm going to tell you right now not to go there. There is help. Virtual assistants (also known as VAs) can assist you with these social networking tasks. Also, some marketing professionals offer social networking packages to do it all for you, so you don't have to manage it or even learn much about it. In other words, you don't have to go at it alone!

And you also don't have to spend hours and hours on these tasks either. Pick ONE thing to do, then spend 1-2 hours a week on it. Once that's mastered, than add a second task. (Or get it into a system so you can outsource it and then bring on a second task.)

Obviously the more time you (or someone on your team) can devote to social networking, the faster you'll see results. But I don't want you to beat yourself up if you don't have a lot of time to do it or money to outsource. Do what you can and let the rest go.

The other thing to keep in mind is it also takes time to start seeing results. None of these techniques is for immediate results or a quick infusion of cash. These techniques are long-term strategies. They're very effective, but they'll take some time.

As for what to start on first, that's up to you and what appeals to you (and what you think will appeal to your target market) but I'll give you a quick summary of a couple of the major ones along with pros and cons:

1. Blogging.

Pros -- This is a terrific way to build traffic to your site. My blog gets a tremendous amount of traffic and much of that spills over to the rest of my site. Plus, I have a Wordpress blog, so it's built into my Web site and it comes with RSS and pinging and everything else a good blog should. (Did I mention it was free?)

Cons -- You need to do some writing. And it does take time. (Either yours or someone on your team.) You should plan to post at least a couple of times a month -- more is better.

2. Podcasting. (Podcasting is like having your own little radio show, except the audio is downloaded into an iPod rather than broadcasted.)

Pros -- This is a terrific way to add credibility and build trust with your customers. Audio, especially when listened to on a podcast, is very intimate. You end up building a tighter bond with your customers than through reading alone. Adding audio to Web sites has been shown to increase conversion rates. (I.e. more people will buy when there's audio involved.)

Cons -- Time (you got to make time to do your podcast, and once you start, you need to do it regularly). This is also a bit more technical than blogging -- you need to upload it to your site, to podcast directories, etc. Unless technology comes really easy for you, I would suggest finding someone to help you out (at least to get you started). And if you have a really dreadful voice I would think twice about doing a podcast.

3. Video.

Pros -- Like audio, adding video to your site is great for increasing conversion rates. It adds a level of intimacy and helps your customers feel like they really know you.

Cons -- Technical and time. For audio, all you need is a phone. Video you need a camera, a video editor, etc. Of course, once it's done, you can use it in a lot of places, but getting it done may feel overwhelming.

4. Social networking sites. This is fast becoming a great way to find customers, form relationships and drive traffic to your site. However, before you dive into this, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, there are some 200 social networking sites out there and I'm sure that number continues to grow. But, MySpace enjoys a whopping 80 percent of that traffic. So it only makes sense that 80 percent of the time you're devoting to social networking sites should be devoted to MySpace. And don't think MySpace is just for kids! I've only been playing around with it for a couple of weeks and I've already made some pretty good connections, plus I've noticed a spike in my traffic and sign-ups for my newsletter. My friend Nancy has as great primer on how to use MySpace for business purposes.

The other two social networking sites I'm on are LinkedIn.com and Ryze.com. What I like about those two is they're more focused on business, plus they don't take a lot of time (so they fit nicely in the 20 percent of my time for the other sites). MySpace can be a time sucker, so just be aware of that.

Pros -- Great for building relationships and appears to be good at driving Web traffic.

Cons -- Takes time (Sensing a pattern here?) Also it's very easy to waste a lot of time on MySpace as well.

My suggestion is to pick one of these techniques to start with, do it for awhile and see what happens. If you start seeing leads and results, stick with it and maybe add another one. If it looks like it's not worth it (takes too much time and you're seeing too few results) try another.

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Whatever you do in life, you will meet people. That’s what networking is – meeting people and being effective at it. Yes – social engagements, too. You can’t be obnoxious (to me, the classic example is the insurance agent in Groundhog Day) –but if you can engage with strangers and leave a good memory, you’ve fulfilled your purpose.

1. Say ‘hello.’
I know this sounds ridiculous, but breaking through the barriers of shyness (yours and theirs) is critical. You have to be willing to talk to people. Hey, it’s not net-sitting. Speaking of sitting, don’t sit with someone you know.

2. Arrive early and leave late. This is sound business practice.

3. Here’s easily the most important tip: Be interested, not interesting. Find out what they do, how come they’re there, how can you help them. Then they’ll ask you what you do. The more you listen, the more your words are heard.

4. Spend time with people you think you’d like to spend time with. Might as well. Don’t sell out on relationships just for the maybe of business.

5. Everyone talks about an elevator speech. Sometimes at networking events, you are asked (along with everyone else) to introduce yourself. You should have a 30-second talk ready. But that’s not all.

6. In your 30-seconds, don’t say what you do. No one cares. Say what they get. This applies everywhere and is just an extension of “be interested, not interesting.” Even the title of this article is about succeeding – it’s about you, not it.

7. And here is something you don’t often hear about networking. Develop a 10-second talk. For example, “I’m a coach; I help people get what they want.”

8. And develop a 10-second closing hook. If you are among a group of people introducing yourself, how will you be remembered? One of the best hooks I’ve ever heard was given by a man with an air purifying business. He finished saying his piece and then took an audibly deep breath and said, “Ahhh.” I sometimes say, “ I don’t give lip service, I give Lipp Service.”

9. Business card exchange is absurd. Cards migrate from the center of your desk to an edge to a center drawer and then to a non-existent memory. Don’t take a card unless you will follow up on it. When I take a card, I tell people that I communicate with them and then I add them to my email list. This is a kind of permission to be in communication.

10. Don’t wait. Be in communication within 48 hours. If you tell someone you’ll call them, call within 48 hours.

Network Your Way To The Top Of The Business Ladder

Networking is one of the most important aspects of being a successful business person, if not the most important. Simply put, your service or product is not going to promote itself. Your own credibility will not just magically grow. Get out there and meet people, shake those hands, kiss those babies, being shy will not help your cause.

The best example I could give right now is that of attending a function or party. Now, some detractors may say that there is no point to go to these events and maybe get a chance to talk to only a few different people, maybe hand out a couple of business cards only to never hear back from anyone. I would be lying if I was to say that this does not happen, but it does......alot. But there is a reason for that, and there is a simple way to make going to that party/function very worthwhile.

For example, whenever I go to a business function I get around and talk to different people. Great, so does everybody else. I hand out my business card. Great, so does everybody else. I also receive alot of business cards. Great, so does everybody else. Whats the difference between what I do and what everybody else does? The answer is not much.

The next step, however, is the key. Within the next 7 days of meeting and exchanging business cards with anyone I meet, be it at a business function, party, charity event, so on and so forth, I will follow up and contact each person in some way, shape or form. Usually the best way I've found to do is setting up a 'LUNCH MEETING' and its great, but one of many things you can do.

For example, have you ever heard the phrase, 'lets do lunch'? Its common to hear that all the time in the business world. I say it alot, but the interesting thing about it is that when I do, I always follow up on it within the next 7 days because truly successful people keep their committments. Even if its going to be with someone who is not directly related to my industry or business, it doesn't matter, doing these kinds of things really help you make a name for yourself and can pay huge dividends in the future.

I remember this one time I met a local Restaurant manager and we exchanged cards. I followed up with him the next week and I ended up attending his own birthday function, brought a gift and had a great time(remember that following up can be in many different ways). A couple of weeks later I met with one of my clients for dinner along with 3 potential clients at this manager's restaurant. I was running late(try to avoid tardiness) and not even 5 minutes after showing up and making the introductions at the table, there came the manager. Free drinks for the entire table, good conversation, and he treated us all great.

Not very often do most people walk into a restaurant and have free complimentary drinks served by the manager personally. Lets just say, not surprisingly, I did business with all 3 potential clients at that table. Enough said. Get out there and meet people, network, last but not least, follow up.

Sam Hachem is a local business expert with a specialization in Real Estate. Sam went from being unemployed to running his own successful business practice in a short period of time. Sam has applied many different strategies to building business and success which he continues to write about today.

Networking for Business

The standard thing for an entrepreneur is to work hard, please his customers/buyers and expand his industry. But this is said easier then it is done. There comes a point in every business, once your reputation has been formed, and your client list expanded, where you are going to have to do a bit of networking.

This can involve networking with your competitors, not only to see what they are getting up to, but also to help one another out. There might be times when you don’t have all the resources and might want to include your competition to help out with certain angles of a service or product.

You might not be able to fulfil an order or require a bit of back up. Either way, being on friendly terms with the enemy might not be such a bad thing. As they say, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

Another form of networking isn’t essentially networking with people of ones own profession, but rather of people that are on the same level. Knowing fellow business people that are in the same group might help when you need a random favour, or people to invest in your ideas.

People might be able to link you up or advise you on areas that you don’t know anything about, such as computer programmes or real estate. Because they are on the same level and you have found a relationship, trusting them with advice is better then a random stranger. Plus it works vica versa. They might need your help and you can gather up some favours.

Sharing business and advertising ideas is also another reason why people network. By getting to know others that have already paved the way, working out what their mistakes where or what they did right, will be good knowledge for you.

Ideally you want the relationship with fellow net-workers to be a mutually beneficial relationship. This is quite rare and doesn’t always end up that way, however these are the goals. Networking is about being genuine and authentic. Building trust is an important factor. You wouldn’t really want to help someone or take the advice from someone that you don’t believe in.

You shouldn’t, also, just keep in touch with people for the sake of networking. If their industry is really far from yours, and you have nothing in common with regards to ideas or clients, then rather let them go and concentrate on groups that you can offer something to and they can offer something in return.

Generally networking gets done through an event or knowing someone. The “masters” if you will call them, occasional will have dinners or meetings where they will invite people purely to network. These are the real opportunities in the business world and it’s all about making the most of them.

Quick Tips on Business Networking

Associating with others to exchange and shape ideas for the purpose of advancing your job search and career position is what job search networking is all about.

Since most jobs go unannounced and are often filled before you even knew there was a job, if you are going to conduct a job search, rather than look for a job, start rebuilding old acquaintances and making new ones. You’ll find the answer to the cry where are all the jobs? just by going out and making new friends. Here are some “quick tips”:

· Start building solid permanent relationships while you are still employed
· Become known in professional associations
· Reacquaint yourself with peers in other companies
· Push out emails to update friends and acquaintances
· Know yourself, what you stand for; what drives you; What it is you value; why it is you do what you do
· “Be in the know”. Know your market: Stay informed of changes and events; the flow of money – of people; signals of things to come (markets; companies; industries; players)
· Have a strategy that captures and presents your strengths, competencies and verifiable experiences
· Set up meetings with contacts and ask for suggestions on your strategy
· Talk to your competition. They are a source of information and may be looking, too
· Truism: You make more meaningful contacts by becoming interested in others than by trying to interest others in you
· Do your homework! Take the time to understand other people’s agendas before setting up a meeting for your own
· Encourage brainstorming; ask open-ended questions
· Use simple language when talking with others. Don’t make the listener plow through jargon
· Show them you are focused and tell them how to help: Leads, additional targets and referrals
· Be entrepreneurial! Think and act creatively, i.e. consider joining or starting a small venture with other knowledgeable professionals
· Call a friend and get energized before calling a contact for a meeting
· Choose your words carefully: Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is like the difference between lightening and lightening bug.”

There’s plenty more on this subject. These are only some “tips” that hopefully will get you motivated. Whether you are employed “but looking” or unemployed and “need to look”, rebuilding past relationships and developing new ones are always a good start.

Rob Taub, a 21-year veteran in the career consulting field who heads the RLS Executive Group, N.E. for RL Stevens & Associates, has also been active as a fund-raiser for Technology in Education, an auctioneer with WGBH Public Television, a debate moderator with Community Access Television, an instructor for Junior Achievement and a youth sports coach. He has also been a guest speaker for community organizations, chambers of commerce and alumni associations on a wide range of subjects including Education, Technology, Career Management, Marketing Communications and Direct Selling.

The Evolution of Business Network Marketing

All things evolve: (within their own species) animals, humans, the land, beliefs...

And even companies and business models! It is simply the way things work if they are to survive. When something can't adapt to the rest of the world's evolutionary process, it becomes extinct. This is as true for network marketing as it was for the saber-toothed cats.

There are many problems with the status quo of network marketing organizations. One of those problems is that these organizations put too much emphasis on motivating their affiliates to sell. Why is this a problem? Because 95% of those who become involved in network marketing can't sell to save their lives.

It's not their fault. Most people can't sell, no matter how much they want to. Yet network marketing organizations expect them to do nothing but sell.

Another problem with network marketing is that it ignores the most powerful marketing arena on the planet: the media. Even if affiliates wanted to advertise on television or the radio, or send out professional direct marketing mailers, they don't have the means to do it. Most affiliates are barely making enough to break even, if that. They don't have the money to engage in the one marketing strategy that could actually bring them a strong customer base.

So will these network marketing organizations continue on as they are, refusing to adapt to their surroundings? One progressive marketing organization has already chosen to evolve, guaranteeing itself the highest seat in the food chain. That company is Trivita.

Trivita is a unique media driven product distribution company that has combined relationship marketing and media exposure to create what they call "integrated marketing."

Since most of the sales are done thru the media by spreading the word about their products through high-energy television & radio commercials, Internet business building tactics and direct marketing campaigns, each affiliate has the opportunity to gain a large database of customers.

With the media helping to build the customer base, the affiliate can focus on referring business partners and building relationships.

Trivita has adapted its business strategy to fit the needs of 21st century affiliates and consumers, which should ensure them being around for a long time to come. If there is any one network marketing organization to become involved with, Trivita is it.

WANT TO JOIN Trivita? Earn a monthly paycheck and a substantial residual income? From the comfort of your home, you can now utilize the same methods fortune 500 companies use to build a HUGE customer base.

Discover How To Teach And Network Together

I met my 2 brothers and my father yesterday as I went home to my family's house as our beloved next door neighbour died. After the funeral we went back to our house and talked about the whole area of teaching. I got to say, holidays wise, teachers have a great life. They get holidays at Christmas, easter and summer not to mind the two mid term breaks between summer and xmas and xmas and summer. Man what a life! But it gets better!

My brother Vinny has about 22 hours of classes every week. Now for the rest of society, its normally a 40 hour week, not for teachers ! And the best part is that he only has 2 nine o'clock starts every week, the rest are at 10. Thats an extra hour lie in 3 days a week.

The best part though has to be the summer holidays. They get a whopping 3 months off. A lot of secondary school teachers here in Ireland up sticks in the summer and head over to somewhere like France or Italy to spend the summer months with family. Thats cool.

I discussed the teachers I had when I was there around 10 years ago. All the same teachers are still there and I told dad who in my opinion were the best teachers in the school.We both agreed who were the best teachers and all of them had the same trait, there was always discipline in their classrooms. I mean, you never were able to mess in their classes. You wouldn't get away with it.

In the bad teachers classes, you would. This made me start to think about the whole area of network marketing. People always talk about desire to ensure the growth of your MLM business but I think discipline or persistence is just as important. You see, if you have discipline in how you run your business, your odds for making it big multiply ten-fold. You have to start by taking action but its the discipline you have that ultimately ensures your financial freedom.

The Evolution of Business Networking

Business networking needs to evolve in order to retain its usefulness to business-to-business (B2B) salespeople. The biggest challenge facing business developers is finding the right types of opportunities within the right types of companies. The second biggest challenge is having the appropriate resources at hand to deliver the product or service once the deal is closed. Luckily, business networks are adapting to accommodate both of these problems.

When people think about business networking, two images typically come to mind: Chamber mixers and traditional leads groups that cater to people who sell to small businesses and individuals; or “old boy’s clubs” known for closed-door meetings in smoky backrooms where “under the table” deals are made. Neither of these scenarios is very fruitful for the average entrepreneur, consultant or salesperson who is trying to sell to established businesses at senior decision making levels.

The other problem with these antiquated networking strategies is that they are dependent on a network being geographically-focused or controlled by a few powerful personalities within a specific industry. If a salesperson’s territory is regional or national in scope, networks focused on specific zip codes or cities that work well for insurance, financial services, real estate and other community-based leads are relatively useless. And if they represent a smaller company, they can forget about penetrating the “old boy’s club.”

Some innovative companies such as LinkedIn.com, Xing.com, MySpace.com and other online social networks are allowing geographically dispersed-colleagues and long-forgotten friends or acquaintances to exchange ideas, leads and help stay connected. Other networks try to add value through online message boards or interest-specific email distribution lists. While these valuable tools help connect people technologically, their adoption hasn’t been as rapid as some would expect, because people are hesitant to blindly trust technology as a replacement for face-to-face networking and relationships.

The solution is a hybrid approach that combines local face-to-face meetings with technology-enabled meetings that expand the reach of the individual so they can collaborate with other business developers interested in common geographies, industries and/or providing complementary products or services.

This new approach takes into account the fact that technology is an augmentation to interpersonal connections, not a replacement for them. It also allows people to form alliances nationally and internationally, so they can develop and deliver business on a scale that would have previously been nearly impossible.

A culture of collaboration is sweeping the business-to-business sales world. And new technology is coming into play to enable national and even international collaboration, so small and large companies alike can change the way they uncover, close and deliver new business opportunities. Business networking must continue to evolve in ways that enable this collaboration, and companies must understand networking is not a face-to-face or technology-enabled interaction alone, but requires both online and offline components working together to be truly effective.