Re: Why even bother? What good could it do for you?

> Bluto, sales hype, networking and exaggerated earnings claims are part and
> parcel of the whole biz-op scene. Everybody, credible or not, does it.
> Guys like , say, Jim Straw, Yanik Silver, or Marlon Sanders are hypey,
> pie-in-the-sky, spammish to the core. But then again, their products are
> pretty good.

Nathan,

When you make a universal statement like that, you are throwing out the baby with the bath water. Not every biz-op involves big-name gurus such as you have mentioned. And many do not involve hype and exaggerated earnings claims.

As for networking, there are two basic types:

1.) Network marketing or Multi-Level Marketing where each person in the distribution chain is encouraged and rewarded for bringing in more distributors. In same cases, retail sales is frowned upon and even discouraged as a means of moving the product and generating income. The focus becomes recruiting more who will recruit more, with each distributor consuming the products in their home.

In some cases, each distributor has to sign up for "autoship" delivery of a minimum amount of products each month. If you add enough people in your downline (at least in theory), you can make $200 to $1000 a month with no one selling the products. Theories rarely work out in the real world as the model was promoted.

2.) Networking can also be a simple as building a network of contacts, customers, friends, relatives, co-workers, etc. By communicating with and through your network, you can increase your number of prospective clients exponentially.

I'm a member of a couple different networking groups. Some of them are known as Chambers of Commerce. Others are profession lead-generating groups where each member becomes a promoter for others in the group. We all have different spheres of contact, and can help others find people who need another's product or service.

I have received referrals that were worth $2000 or more in new orders on the first transaction. Some referrals became another network of sorts that lead to more and more referrals outside the original network.

Newtorking can take place instantly, online or off, but can also occur slowly over months and years. Last January I received an order for imprinted mini-footballs. The referral came from a one-time business-related message board. Someone in New Zealand contacted Splash Promotions in Australia needing to order footballs for their Super Bowl party. Splash Promotions pointed out that Aussie footballs are round (soccer balls), and referred the buyer to me. I don't know how many months or years it had been since SP and I posted in the same thread on what forum.

Another referral came from a personal contact I have in Shreveport, LA. Ron had become a K & B dealer and had written some orders, but later moved on due to circumstances in his family. A buyer in California placed an order with Ron, only to find out Ron was no longer in the business. Ron passed the customer on to me, and he'll get his planner/organizers in a couple weeks.

Networking has allowed me to grow my business much faster and expand far beyond my local contacts.

I started my business over 21 years ago. My family is much better off because I found a "biz-op" advertised in the local newspaper classifieds back in 1984. I couldn't imagine earning the kind of income we enjoy selling anything in my local market other than insurance. I never wanted to be an insurance salesman.

Some bizops or sold with a lot of hype and hollow guarantees, with inflated income claims. But, a general condemnation of ALL bizops is baseless.

JHO!