This is about discovering and using the most important of all the basic network marketing strategies.

If you know anything about network marketing you know that the success of your business falls solely on only one network marketing strategy: Prospecting.

That’s what makes network marketing very simple for some and very hard for others.

Prospecting (definition): searching for potential clients, customers or candidates!

Q: What kind of people is network marketing extremely hard for?

A: Those people who do not understand the importance of prospecting.

Q: What kind of people is network marketing extremely easy for?

A: Those people who do understand and practise the art of focused prospecting.

Therefore, if you want to be successful in your network marketing efforts you have to learn how to prospect, and how to prospect in the most effective way.

We will look at some of the basics here, but to really be effective at prospecting you have to have continual and progressive prospecting training and then put it all into action! Yes, practise, practise, and more practise!

Prospecting means going out on a limb for some; and for others it is a simple act of socialising with potential team members, and having a short, extremely concise description of your product or service, and an appropriate ’story’ regarding same, and using it without fear or an attachment to a particular outcome. Some people will show interest; and others won’t. It’s that simple!

Develop a systematic approach; keep records of the people showing the slightest sign of interest (develop your listening skills here) and stay in touch. N.B. Actually tell them that you will stay in touch; and lightheartedly let them know that you will be the ‘dripping tap’ until they show any signs of disinterest. That’s being authentic, and showing integrity (and tenacity), and you will be respected for it.

If you believe in your product or service; show genuine interest in telling others about it; and systematically contact your potential team members: you will develop a strong and repeatable habit of ‘knowing’, that without being offensive or an absolute pain in the arse with your friends and family, will start to work for you. In turn, you can then show others how to do the same, and they can do the same …. and so on.

This is developing a strong and sustainable team or network.

Here is a simple method of putting together two separate prospecting lists:

Firstly, put together a list of everyone you would invite to a personal and private party or function. Then contact them one at a time to tell them about your new venture. Don’t beat around the bush - be direct and open with people. Remember: Once you’re talking to them, go easy on family and friends by respecting their right to receive some information, but back-off the second you detect any negative reactions to your efforts.

Secondly, put together another list of business associates or sporting team members, or any organisational contacts you may have, and then do the same methodical talking to each of them, one at a time.

Show confidence, rather than arrogance; and remember that some will show interest, and some won’t! Of those who show interest, you will encounter a variety of different levels of research and information required before they will show commitment; in some cases, a HUGE difference! We are all different, and some of us are convinced quickly and will make decisions accordingly; others won’t! They may even frustrate you in how much information or convincing they require; but while there is still interest there is still hope.

Remember that golden rule: “I will be the dripping tap until there are any signs of disinterest”! Also remember this: People who require research and more convincing aren’t necessarily showing signs of disinterest, and you must learn to know the difference, as this is often the difference between winning Gold, Silver or Bronze medals in anything that we do!

Just in case you don’t know what the ‘dripping tap’ significance is: A dripping tap will eventually wear away even the hardest of surfaces under the point where the drips hit the ground (including concrete) and will eventually create quite a significant hole if left to continue dripping. People can be the same when put into any situation requiring follow-up, and if you actually tell the other person that you will be the dripping tap until told to be different, you will develop a strong but comfortable relatonship with them. That relationship will be based on respect and openness.

All business is about people: and the relationships with those people!

Article marketing is one of the fastest, least expensive, and most effective ways to boost your Internet presence.

With article marketing you will write articles about your field of interest and distribute them for publication on other websites, blogs, and ezines with a link back to your site. Each time your article is published on a website you get a one-way link to your site. Article Marketing is done by many people who ignore the keyword research part but this isn’t really wise. The use of keywords in your articles that in addition are properly used on your website will help to bring you the right kind of targeted traffic.

The thought behind article marketing is that the articles are distributed everywhere and your content will be seen by a lot of people. The use of the right keywords in your articles will better insure that your articles are seen by people who have an interest in your subject and who will want to visit your website in order to learn more.

Article marketing is a great tool that can promote you from being a bottom feeder to being one of the larger fish in your niche pond. Article marketing can be very effective when done right. The question is how are you doing it? When correctly done article marketing is a very effective way to promote your website, affiliate products or affiliate program. By writing an article that delivers value and offers a subtle mention of your affiliate product or critical keywords, you are well on your way to getting the proper exposure for your promotion.

Article marketing is the key to exposing your articles and getting them seen through the web. There are a number of ways you can go about distributing your article on the web and marketing your article and your website at the same time. Article marketing is a very important aspect of making money online.

As your web site’s position in the search engine results pages (SERPS) depends to a large degree in the number of quality back links to your site article marketing can be extremely effective in increasing your websites online exposure. Article marketing is most probably the most effective link building strategy in existence. Article directories allow you to include a resource box for every article you submit and this resource box can contain your link.

Unless you do some major publicity work, pull off a media stunt, or are already famous, using article marketing techniques over time is one of the best marketing methodologies available to you. Article marketing is a great way to give the people what they want while drawing them into your website in order to see what you have to offer. You can surely increase your customer base by using good article marketing strategies.

Content articles are an essential part of search engine marketing and when done properly they can have a tremendously positive and long term effect to your web site business. Content is needed by countless site owners on a daily basis. These site owners visit article directories to get free content and when your articles contain great content their use can spread your message and links all over the Internet.

With article marketing keyword terms have been returned to their proper owners - businesses who have built niche-targeted, categorical web sites and spent months and years fortifying them with high-quality, intelligent content.

Keyword density is very important for the search engines to notice your article. After finding your keywords and phrases use them in your article, a good keyword density is about 10-15 %, if your word count is 700 words, then your keywords should appear 7 or 8 times. Using your keywords too much in your article will look like spamming and your article content would not make any sense to your readers, using too few keywords will end up unnoticed by the search engines, and this is not the result you are looking for. Be sure to check the article’s grammar and spelling as well. You should check each article that you write to insure that with the strategic use of your keywords the article still reads well and makes good sense.

Popular article sites on which your articles are published not only can pass some of their traffic on to you, articles from top article sites are often well listed in Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. Give article marketing a try and after a few months you will be amazed by the results.

People searching the Internet are typically looking for information. People looking for information use search engines to find what they are looking for. With article marketing your well written articles have a good chance of being found.