Network Marketing For A Living

Do You Network For A Living? What Is Network Marketing?

Paul Zane Pilsner says that network marketing is the wave of the future. Network marketing is the right industry to be in now and into the future. What is networking? Working the net? What does that mean? A net is defined as an interconnected web. Working is the act of creating results. Networking is working or creating results using a net. Networking for a living is the generation of cash flow or creating a living by using your net of interconnected people. A network marketing business utilizes the net created by the structure of collaboration between other like-minded individuals so that all involved will benefit from the increased results as a result of the interconnected network.

Are you networking?

I am networking today at an all day seminar-fair focused on wellness. Many of the participants do not understand what networking means. Some of the people here think that it is called net-sitting. They are sitting behind their tables, or sitting alone just waiting for others to connect with them. The action of working the net is required to create the connection. It is networking, not net-sitting.

Collaboration Creates Results Squared

The network grows and becomes more powerful when more net workers become involved in working the net. I cannot network with the women who set themselves apart from the group and do not participate. When two people network, they create results that square the results that they could have created as an individual. Two people create 4 times the results as one. Three people create 9 times the results as one and so on. I have networked with a dozen or more people today. I have participated with these individuals and they participated with me. We collaborated and created a net of common ground that will benefit all of us into the future. Others, such as the women I lunched with, only traded business cards with me. That is not networking. It is wasting business cards. When you are networking you are creating a net of common ground of interest. You cannot network with someone who does not want to participate. Trading cards with uninterested parties is not networking. At lunch we net-ate. Have you ever gone to an event or a party to network, and found yourself net-eating? Just hanging out with business people eating. Not collaborating on creating a business net to benefit all involved?

Effective Networking Skills

Networking is a skill that takes focus to get good at. It is all about attitude! I am not an expert, and it does not necessarily come naturally to me. I know though that I can create benefits and results for both myself and fellow net workers when I put my focus on doing it effectively. The first part of being an effective networker is to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and to decide that you are going to network. Just like good salesmanship, networking requires a focus outside yourself. Frequently, I get into networking situations that the other party only talks about him or herself. As a matter of fact, and I am sure everyone has this issue, I must make a concentrated effort to keep the focus on others when I am talking and be an active listener when they are talking. The way I do this is to keep my side of the conversation to 10 seconds or less and ask a question. Then share 10 seconds or less with clarifying information, based on the answer they gave and ask another question. Sometimes, when I hear myself rambling on about my personal interests or business, I just pull a question out of my head quickly, anything, even if it doesn’t relate. I say anything that will put on the brakes to my own talking. In this manner, I find that I am always able to find common ground with my fellow networker. Sometimes I have the ability to further their business and sometimes it is the other way around. Either way the collaborating efforts pay off.

The proof is in the follow-up

The other piece in effective networking is the follow-up. For me, a quick encounter in networking always requires some quick notes, as well. I have learned that it is OK to actually write things down during the networking process. If I do not jot down a note, then I may not remember the experience or the promises I made. It also shows the other party that you plan to be serious about your connection. Your follow-up should then take place within 48 hours after the networking experience. Whether it is an email, phone call or mailing, making the follow-up is key to the results of your networking experience. Building a net of support that works for you is what networking is all about.

Networking Is The Industry Of The Future

This event is not a huge event. It is not the high level networking event I expected, yet I know phenomenal opportunity will come my way as a result of my networking efforts. A commitment to the process of networking will always result in a net that works in your business for the future. The point is to use compound interest to leverage every situation to your benefit and that of those you are collaborating with. You never really know where the net you create today will take you in the future. Networking is the industry of the 21st century. Next time you are in a networking situation, plan to network and make a decision to do so. Be sure that you do not net-sit, net-eat, net-complain, net-read the newspaper, net….