Networking is obviously an essential part of network marketing. Every successful network marketer knows this to be true.

Although networking is such an intricate part of network marketing, the two terms are not synonymous. However there are many similarities.

Both rely heavily on people skills. Both require people to confront their fear of talking to other people.

Both carry with them the risk of rejection. Both also carry with them enormous opportunity. And to some people, both are considered dirty words.

Of course people that consider networking as something that is 'not done' don't understand what networking is really about. The same can be said of people that think network marketing is something that is beneath them.

Many people think of networking as a way to get connected solely for their own advancement in life. In that respect a person might feel that it is unethical or not noble to network.

This line of thinking stems from the idea that advancement will always come at the expense of someone else, that success in life is a zero-sum game.

These people often look at network marketing from the same perspective. They think of profiting from other people's efforts as something that is negative and not fair to them. In reality, successful networkers will tell you that it doesn't work that way at all.

Networking doesn't have to be at anybody's expense and the business of network marketing doesn't reward anyone for taking advantage of others.

It actually rewards people for helping other people to succeed. In that respect it may very well be the most ethical business model in the world today.

A lot of the negativity around networking can be explained by the different types of networkers. Some can be considered 'hunters', moving in for a quick kill, after which they move out again. They often operate without regard of the other persons interest and because of this they will enjoy the fruits of success for only a limited period of time.

Often it will not take long before people find out what's really driving the hunter. Once they see that he or she is only looking after his or her own interests, their willingness to interact with this person will quickly evaporate.

By contrast, truly successful networkers are often 'farmers' who spend a lot of time sowing and nourishing their relationships, instead of just focusing on reaping. They invest in their network, they energize their network.

They use their network, but they never ever abuse their network! And their network knows this. A true networker will always keep the interests of others in mind.

That's why working with a true networker is so enjoyable. Networkers are often very likeable and as such people like to interact with them. Networking is a skill that is essential to all businesses not just network marketing.

Although network marketing differs in many ways from the more traditional forms of doing business, the importance of networking is just as prevalent. If not more so.

A network marketer that doesn't know how to network will be out of business in no time. Network marketing is first and foremost a people's business and this implies that the ability to effectively work with people is absolutely critical.

This is why successful network marketers are extremely adept at networking. Many have found out over time that developing this skill can pay off in many areas outside their network marketing business as well.

Business owners who have started a home based business on the side often apply their enhanced networking and people's skills in their traditional business with great success.

For some network marketers this spin-off has earned them more money than the income from their network marketing business itself. So whether you are in network marketing or in a more traditional type of business, don't underestimate the importance of becoming an effective networker.

And if you really want to master this skill you may find there is a lot to learn from good network marketers.

So if you happen to know anybody that fits that description, try and benefit from their knowledge on the topic. It will surely help you network your way to success!

6. FEATURE ARTICLE

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Network marketing is not always as simple for everyone. There are individuals who are very natural at talking with others and find it quite easy to be in a room full of strangers and talk about what they have to offer. Then there are those who are terrified of the very idea of network marketing and having to talk to anyone about anything.

Network marketing does not have to be a unpleasant experience for you and you do not have to have a panic attack at the thought of attending one. When you prepare for network marketing and do not go in with your eyes closed, you will find that it will make an enormous difference in the productivity of your business.

Network marketing can be beneficial in building a Reservoir of resources and contacts that you can have at your fingertips to propel your business forward.

If you do not have a briefcase, it would be wise to purchase one. In your briefcase, you can keep your business cards, brochures, and informative documents about your business and other items that you can use to talk to others about what you have to offer. Keep your briefcase with you at all times, especially when you go to events to network.

Decide in advance how many people you want to talk to and do just that. If it is your first time, you may only want to talk to three people. Although once you are there, you will probably find yourself relaxing and notice that you came home with more than three contacts.

Do not forget the business cards of the people you meet. In the excitement, you may forget their names. It is a good idea to write down some relevant information on the back of the card to help you remember why or why not you like that particular contact.

One way to get to know those who come to the event is to volunteer to greet people as they come in. You are the first person they meet and then you can go up to them during the meeting with some ground under your feet and not feel so uncomfortable.

Being a good listener is the key to being good at networking. If you spend all your time talking about yourself and how good you are and very little time listening to them you will be wasting your energy.

Remember, people like to talk about themselves and if you let them they will, and they will leave the event thinking how much they enjoyed talking to you and will remember you. This is also an excellent way to obtain information about them and the business they have to offer.

An autoresponder campaign is essential for every business. Some entrepreneurs are under the mistaken impression that you can only use an autoresponder campaign if you sell an information product.

This is simply untrue.

Creation of an autoresponder campaign that is helpful and informative is absolutely essential no matter what you are selling. Your autoresponder is extremely important to your business. Many of your sales will come as a result of your autoresponder. In fact, 80% of all sales happen after the sixth contact.

That means that if you aren't collecting emails and mailing them regularly you are only getting 20% of your potential income off that site. Given this, your autoresponder should not be an afterthought or something that is sloppily thrown together. It is just too important and too potentially effective at converting prospects into customers to neglect or to invest only a half effort to.

What is the best strategy? The autoresponder strategy that I see employed most often is to send out an email with an article and a small advert directing the reader to a direct sales website. The newsletters all look the same, they all do the same thing. Is that because this strategy is the best or just because it's the easiest and no one has ever tested other strategies?

Differentiating your publication from others; giving it a more professional look thereby increasing credibility and making it stick in the prospects mind. It's largely a branding thing - the template should match your site. It doesn't have to be a large, complicated page to be impressive.

Concentrate on designing a clean, simple and professional layout. A newsletter allows you to present information in an organized, logical layout that is more appealing and intuitive than a text email - take advantage of that capability so that the HTML newsletter will have a strength. Otherwise, people will opt for the smaller file size of the text email.

Have, in several places on your template, hyperlinks back to your site. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that HTML emails allow you to seamlessly integrate the code needed to track where your sales are coming from. As long as the file size of the email is small and as long as you are sure that your HTML emails are displaying correctly they are advantageous and have a very minimal impact on sales.

Don't be afraid to be aggressive. The people that you are sending emails to are interested in what you sell. They came to your site and knowingly opted into your email list. They want you to help them with their problem. As long as what you are sending them is helpful information then it will not bother them.

Don't be afraid to contact your list as often as you have something useful to say. Your autoresponder strategy must be built on building trust with your subscribers while still managing to aggressively market your product to them. Once someone trusts you and your opinion they will be more likely to drop their defenses and really listen to your sales message.

The key to this strategy is that the information you send be your best work. It must be worth their while to read. It must be interesting. It must be helpful. This strategy, contacting them often, will backfire if you aren't sending information they want/need because you will just be clogging up their inbox and they will unsubscribe from your list.

If you aren't confident that the information you are providing will be valued and/or welcome you may want to space the messages out more. Keep in mind that all correspondence should use the same layout even if it is a text email. Make sure and use your tracking service to see which of your newsletters are getting you sales.

When analyzing which articles convert best remember that articles will pull better or worse depending on where they are placed in your sequence. There are two main campaigns to worry about right now. Create an autoresponder campaign for prospects. Your autoresponder campaign for prospects should be at least a month long.

Have the articles be your absolute best work. Have them proof read. Write more than you need and then ask a few people, who have knowledge of and interest in your niche to pick out the 15 Your ultimate goal in writing these articles is to have them be of value to your subscribers.

The second goal is to have the articles peak their interest and leave them wanting more. Your product should satisfy their need for more. Create an autoresponder campaign for customers Have your thank you page be a sign up box and have the first message include the URL to download the product.

This way delivery of the product is automated and they are automatically dropped into your autoresponder sequence that should include offers for your backend products. Also, include "Customer Only" bonus articles every so often intended only to keep the customer from unsubscribing.

You may need different campaigns selling different products, depending on what the customer has already bought. Carefully prune lists to keep them from getting a sales message for a product they have already bought.

Please see http://www.thenetworkmarketingsuccessezine.com for details

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