Networking is not going away. No matter how high-tech, plugged in, or globalized the world becomes, networking will be around forever. You need networking, and you need it to work for you.

But as consumers, clients, customers, and executives all realize the power and usefulness of networking you are faced with the difficulty of discriminating how, when, why, and how much networking you should be doing.

For example, if you joined every networking web site there was, you could make a full time job of just filling out web forms. Or, if you attended every networking function in your industry, you would do nothing but eat, drink, and mingle.

So, what are you going to do. This article attempts to lay out seven keys to business networking growth.

1. Become the go-to guy for a networking question. As you begin to network, your circle of acquaintances grows. Your rolodex of numbers increases. And you start running out of room to put business cards. In time, you will build a reputation as a pretty good networker.

Now and then someone may come up to you and say, “Hey, do you happen to know a good franchise consultant?” You dig in your drawer, whip out a business card and say, “Give him a call. I met him last March. Nice guy.” Bingo. You’ve scored a point. You’ve made a connection.

And you’ve won some trust. Eventually, a few more people will come up to you and say, “Hey, I heard that you may know a good marketing firm…” And so it has begun. By and by, you will receive a certain degree of recognition as someone who is very well connected, knows a lot of people, and can point people in the right direction. But networking is a snowballing adventure.

The more people you know, the more people you can get to know. The more people that come to you with networking questions, the more people you can find out about and get to know. Make it your goal to become the networking guru in your space.

2. Seek opportunities to help others. Helping people is at the core of networking. A networking attempt is so much more than a handshake and an exchange of a name card. It is so much more than accepting a connection on LinkedIn.

The value of your network is not measured by the amount of names that you know, but by the amount of help you can provide. As you survey the networking landscape, don’t look at is as a host of names to know. Look at is as a host of people to help. After all, the only truly valuable networking will be from people whom you know personally and whom you have helped.

Once you help people, especially in a sacrificial or altruistic way, you’ve won their trust. They have a degree of confidence in you. That confidence will translate into them recommending you. That is exactly what you want. That is the way to grow your network, and that is a crucial key to business networking growth.

3. Seek opportunities for others to help you. But it works both ways. Not only should you be helping others, but others can be helping you. If you need help, ask for it.

Gaining help from others creates a human connection that can’t be gained any other way. Besides, you get to see the skills of another from a unique angle. You get to see how the person works. You get to experience their product.

And you get to establish a mutual relationship of trust. That goes miles in the networking world. People willl remember those whom they help, and it is the perfect way to build a strong, lasting network.

4. Be everywhere often. Though it sounds daunting, it is possible to carve out a significant presence for yourself. The key word here is “strategic.” As I mentioned, it is an incredible waste of time to join every networking site out there.

Though you will receive a plethora of invitations, be selective. Join only the ones that will best accomplish your purposes. It should be standard, however, to at least have a presence on LinkedIn, the current networking site leader.

Other industry-specific websites should be consulted as well. In addition, attend several strategic functions as often as you can. Again, too much is too much, but make it your practice to be at the important ones as often as possible.

5. Know people well. When you meet people, remember their names and some specifics about them. Don’t be ashamed to write names down. You need to remember them. Carry around a pen and pad of paper, and jot down notes.

Not just for names, but facts, too. When you pick up the phone to call that potential customer, it will go a long way to say, “By the way, how’s your mother-in-law? I remember you mentioned she had surgery last week.”

6. Host something. Be a networking leader and go ahead and host something. It can be as simple as a backyard barbecue for all the CFOs in your town. Or it can be as big as a golf outing for all the engineering firms.

Either way, you can quickly become a networking mogul, just by organizing events. After all, once the event is over, you have a list of everyone who signed up–complete with numbers and all.

7. Finally, make it fun. Networking can be a fulfilling hobby. After all, you’re interacting with people. People can be a lot of fun. Face the challenge of being a networking guru, but make it an enjoyable and refreshing hobby.

Excellent MLM’s vs. scam MLMs, it sounds like a sports game, doesn’t it? It does bear a marked resemblance to a competitive game, the difference being that you are the prize. A good MLM should, in fact, resemble a well run sports team with a winning record. The parent company should be well organized with a solid mission statement in place. The coach should know his team’s strengths and weaknesses and be able to use that knowledge to everyone’s benefit. The players should know their duties and feel comfortable fulfilling them.

A scam on the other hand looks a lot like a losing team. The parent company is disorganized and difficult to reach in times of need. The coach pushes the team to do better without guiding them in ways to improve performance. The players feel rudderless and uncertain.

When we watch a game we can tell which is which fairly easily. The scam team’s playing reflects the disorganization, lack of guidance and support, and makes desperate or uncertain plays. Their plays are most often sabotaged by everyone wanting to be the hero and save the game.

In today’s internet market we are often asked to invest in some sort of multi level market plan. They all try to sound attractive and that’s where it gets difficult to determine which is excellent and which is not. There are several clues to look for before agreeing to anything.

First, what do they expect from you? A good company expects you to work at making sales and improving your performance under their guidance and with their support. They provide a reliable support and coaching system. They encourage you to improve with positive incentives.

A scam expects you to believe that selling their product will make you rich without effort. There is no guidance, no support. They aren’t willing to help you learn the business or improve your performance. One thing to look for is the importance the company places on sales vs. recruitment. Scams always offer positive incentive for greater recruiting than they do for sales. So, if you’re being asked to push recruiting, your best bet is to refuse to invest.

In good network marketing you task is to sell a product. You receive a commission based on your sales and the person who recruited you gets a portion of that commission. Whether you have the product you’re selling in your business or home and have to ship it yourself, or the order for the product is sent to the parent company via your site will depend on the parent company, but both are legitimate. Either way, the company will expect you to encourage customers to your site based on the ability to buy their product from you. For instance, if you have a car parts site and someone tries to recruit you to sell crystal ware on your site, you probably want to think this through about a dozen times.

Good Network Marketing will require a commitment from you. Scams will exploit you. A really good indicator to look for is what is offered in return for your investment. Good companies promote their training and support. They emphasize their availability to both you and the customer. They invite you into a network and respect your questions and ideas.

Investing is always a bit scary. That is truer today than at any other time in our history. You don’t want to throw away your family’s savings, but you do want to grow them. Working with an excellent MLM is a good choice. Network marketing gives you more control over your financial growth than savings accounts and certificates of deposit.

The best way to ensure that you are associating with excellent MLMs vs. Scam MLMs is to do your homework before you enter negotiations. Does the parent company have a good reputation? What is their product? Is it something you are comfortable representing? What do you know of the recruiter? Does the recruiter have references? Can you verify their association with the parent company?

MLMs are a good way to make money especially on the internet. Consider this; when you purchase a new product or service from an advice or info driven website you could be buying from an stealth network marketer or savvy affiliate of the item your purchasing, it’s no skin of your nose to buy from that link, or referrer, but they make a commission on the sale.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do the same, without ever pressuring anyone and make a nice income stream from it over time… Stealth referral and network marketing is definitely worth looking into.

Referrals are a core element of business and the lifeline of inbound warm leads. Any successful business owner knows that the business can thrive or fail based on customer referrals. Keep in mind that those referrals can be good referrals or bad referrals. Business starts with getting customers, albeit a small group of steady customers. As you provide top-quality service to this small pool of customers, you will ensure that you are keeping your customer base.

These customers, as they experience the quality of service and the level of dedication that you have provided for them, will begin to refer other people. Thus, your business starts multiplying customers. That’s it in a nutshell: a core principle of business. It starts with getting customers, even if it’s just a few. It continues by keeping those customers–satisfied, steady, and coming back. Then, those customers will begin to refer other customers, resulting in the multiplication of customers for your business.

There are ways to give a sharper edge to this strategy of referrals. There are methods and means for increasing customer flow. There are strategies that you can begin to employ that will help your business take off. Those methods, means, and strategies are all subsumed in what is vaguely known as ‘business networking.’ But what is business networking? How does it work? How can it work for you?

The Basic Principle
Business networking is the practice of interacting with other professionals to sell your business, promote your brand, and increase your revenue. Business networking is indispensable if you want to stay afloat in a competitive economy. It’s a fairly simple concept, but the means and methods of business networking are legion.

Nonetheless, there is a basic principle that ties it all together. As you are networking, meeting people, greeting people, dropping your card, sending an e-mail, joining a group, attending a luncheon, or browsing a trade show, you’ve got to remember that you are selling yourself. There is no such thing as selling your business divorced from selling yourself as a person. For that reason, think: what are people going to remember about you? How are you going to stand out? What impressions will they take away from that meeting that will affect how they perceive your business?

The core principal is this: you’ve got to be personable. You’ve got to be warm. A potential customer may love your product. It may meet the exact craving that he’s had. But if he was turned off by your detached personality and limp handshake, he may never buy your product.

If you meet an individual who perceived that you didn’t care about him, and simply cared about the cell phone call that interrupted his conversation with you, you may just have lost a customer. It is crucial that you express an interest in people that you meet, and convey to them that you have their best interests in mind. That is the attitude that a successful networker has.

With that in mind, let’s explore some of the ways that you can get involved in more successful business networking.

Tried and True Methods
Since the beginning of industry, people have formed themselves into guilds–associations and gatherings of people sharing a similar trade. There is an association for you to join, regardless of your trade. Simply pull out a phone book or do an Internet search of city or state associations in your industry. Chances are, you’ll find more than one. If, for example, you are a marketing professional in Detroit, you can join the Society for Marketing Professionals, Michigan Chapter. For a nominal annual or monthly fee, you can subscribe to a newsletter, attend monthly meetings, play in an annual golf outing, participate in a summer barbecue, hear a professional seminar, and get the annual directory.

These events and publications are priceless! Based on your level of involvement in your association, you may rise the ranks and hold an officer position in the organization. Having your name listed in the weekly e-journal (e.g., “Joe Blow, Member-at-Large”) is the perfect way to gain high exposure and enhanced networking.

And then there are business cards. Don’t underestimate the importance of leaving your name and contact information with a potential client or customer. Distributing a well-made business card speaks well of you and your business, and will most likely come back to reward you as you faithfully distribute these to people you meet along the way.

Keep your ear to the ground for trade shows in your industry. While they may require a bit of time, some travel and even some start-up costs for a booth or display, they can eventuate in some sizable revenue as you gain new clients and increased exposure.

Hi-Tech Methods
In today’s plugged-in world, it goes without saying that you need a website. But it goes further than that. You, as a professional, need an online identity. Getting involved in professional networking sites is a must-have. As people Google your name, product, or service, you want to make sure that they find what they are looking for. Take a few minutes to join LinkedIn, an professional networking site with millions worldwide. Check out Plaxo, Zoominfo or another of the many networking sites to carve out an identity online.

These and other methods are available, but keep in mind that you are selling yourself. It is most important that you present yourself as someone who is truly interested in the other person, and can make good on your promise of a high-quality service. Then, start cashing in on those referrals.

Referral marketing is a great way to maximize your business’s chances for success. This process is a great way to increase word-of-mouth about your business, and it can help your business. This form of marketing revolved around encouraging and promoting customers, business, and media contacts to talk as much about your business as is possible. Instead of allowing word of mouth to exist solely by chance, referral marketing helps motivate and expand this process so that it’s even more productive for you and your business.

How does this system work? Well, people are generally motivated to refer their friends and family members to websites, usually with some sort of incentive attached (i.e. a cash bonus, more freedom, upgrades to one’s account, etc.). When people refer others to a product, service, or website, the products are not only used more often, but its name is more widely known than before. This in turn ups a company’s visibility as well as traffic.

How are people referred to the website? Well, generally, referral marketing happens when an individual is given a link with which they can refer people. Many people email these links to friends and family members and some even post them on their websites or in their personal profiles on websites. The user receives a percentage of profits or goods for each referral that satisfies certain requirements (i.e. registering with the company, buying so many good, etc.).

The kind of referral marketing a company uses depends on its needs and resources. Some of these methods are quite simple and some are more advanced. For example, you could simply post a link to your business in a forum or email it to your friends and colleagues via email or through social networks. You can use such professional networks as LinkedIn and Jigsaw to help you with this process. You could also use websites that focus on referrals: they will help with tracking and with giving out or distributing the promised bonuses. Some companies like to place referral banners on their website and on other websites to help with referrals.

Referral marketing not only helps you maximize your profits, but it allows your clients to feel as if they are a vital piece of your organization. This results in customer loyalty and increased traffic (i.e. they will be more likely to help you when it comes to the referral process). Using referral marketing is a great way to maintain your business’s productivity. The system helps you build relationships not only with clients but with other websites (i.e. the ones who help you post your banners and links) and with other companies. Treating clients like they matter helps to bring them into the fold and helps you to keep from losing them. This in turn increases the likelihood of repeat business.

This makes your business more lucrative. You will have customers who feel as if they are a part of the family, and you will have a simple way of getting the word out about your business. Really, success is only a click away.

Whatever your business, network marketing can be an invaluable tool to promoting and selling your product or service. However, it is tempting when dealing with any type of multi-level marketing system, to ignore or belittle proper quality and value considerations of your business strategy. Network marketing can generate a lot of revenue in a short period of time, but adding value and quality to your product or service will stabilize your business and help to retain customers. With due attention to the value of your service, you will start to see more returning customers, and with a little more preparation and research, your profits will steadily increase well into the future.

There are seven important considerations to developing a multi-level marketing plan. These steps will increase your business’s productivity and customer satisfaction level. Like any plan for business improvement, these steps require a little extra work, and include such topics as informative, well-structured training materials and coaching opportunities for your distributors or independent agents, and detailed analyses of your product or service in order to determine directions for improvement. But this added preparation will yield outstanding results.

Step One: Quality of your product or service. Compare your product or service to those of your competition. What incentive is there to choose yours over theirs? Make sure that you cut as few corners as possible. Use slightly better materials or supplies. Review your process of production and make improvements where applicable. Since your product and/or service is the foundation of your entire business, it is imperative to ensure that your foundation is rock solid.

Step Two: Form and function. Does your product meet it’s expectations? And is it designed in such a way to naturally achieve those expectations? Remember, the second half to a product’s overall quality is it’s form and function. Your customers have a need that they have chosen to quench with the purchase of your product or service. Make sure they are getting what they pay for.

Step Three: Time and place. With a quality product or service, properly formed and functional according to its purpose, you still need to consider whether the time and place are right for your business to thrive. If your business is fragrances and toiletries, and Hannah Montana has just released a line of designer fragrances, jump on the bandwagon! Discontinue the Britney Spears line and stay current. Make sure your products and services are aimed at current market trends, and tailored to localized phenomena.

Step Four: Recruitment. In a Network Marketing campaign, your distributors and/or associates are your backbone. The Internet is currently full of get-rich-quick schemes, pyramid scams, etc., and your potential distributors are either going to be very leery, or thoughtlessly hopeful. Concentrate on the value of your product or service when recruiting new associates. Try to present a realistic picture of the opportunity you are offering them. Educated people are productive people. Be honest!

Step Five: Training and preparation. Your new distributors and associates, and their downline distributors and associates, will be infinitely more productive and enthusiastic if they begin their work with a complete understanding of what they are doing. Offering them detailed training materials and additional coaching will help to build their confidence and improve their success rate.

Step Six: Process and procedure. The more your Network Marketing spreads, the more you’ll want to ensure that everything is running as smoothly as possible so as to maintain a steady, stable growth. Your distributors and associates must have specific guidelines and procedural rules that should be strictly followed for the purposes of quality control, records keeping, customer retention, etc. This will improve your overall comfort level, your businesses productivity, and your associates’ efficiency.

Step Seven: Adaptation. Always pay attention to current market trends, local occurrences, fads, economic periods of plenty and poverty, etc. An informed, up-to-date marketing strategy will never fail to compensate for any shifts in customer expectations, needs, and desires. Make sure your product or service is exactly what customers want and need at that exact time and place, and convince them to utilize your business again for future purchases.

Just keep in mind that, while Network Marketing is an effective way to sell your products or services, it is also a complicated process that must be planned and implemented properly in order to maximize potential. Cater to your customer’s needs. Make sure your distributors and associates are properly prepared. Stability is important in business, and with it, you will ensure a prosperous and stable future.