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.