Relationship Marketing | Build Your Online Business

The definition of an Internet Newbie is very subjective.  For some it could mean just getting started; for others they consider themselves a Newbie until they have made their first $1,000 from their marketing efforts.  Still there are others who consider themselves Newbies even though they have had a presence on the Internet for more than a year.

Regardless of where you are in the “Newbie” stage, your desire should be to move forward in your online business.  No one wants to or can follow a parked car…it's going nowhere, and unless you are on online just for fun or as a hobby, you will want to take steps to move forward.

1. Do you treat your internet marketing as a business? Then you must do something in and for your business everyday.

2. It's often said, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Are you a self-starter and are you self-motivated?  You must take action to implement what you re learning.  Sometimes you could over-analyze the pros and cons for so long that it leads to paralysis.  I was guilty of this for a long time, not only in my online business but also in my Direct Sales business several years ago.  A simple statement by a Direct Sales leader helped to get me to see beyond my own limiting beliefs.  She pointed out that all the lights are never going to be green at the same time, but you keep going and will eventually reach your destination if you don't let the red lights stop you altogether.  Simple illustration that had a big impact on me.

3.  F.E.A.R – False Evidence Appearing Real. So many of us struggle with fear of failure.  Oddly enough when you take the plunge, many times you realize that the fear was much worse that the reality.  Do not be afraid to fail forward. It's unavoidable but you can learn from your mistakes. Each time you fail or fall view it as a training ground, sometimes a hard one, but the experience will make you stronger and less likely to make the same mistake. Think of the gymnast or ice skater who takes home the Olympic gold.  He or she did not get there without some tumbles, but they never gave up; they got up, and kept going. Will you?

4.  Stop being busy with tasks unrelated to your business.  Ask yourself, Is what I'm doing going to take me to the next level or stage in my business?  There's nothing wrong with taking care of administrative tasks but they must be done after your key tasks for your online business are completed. An area I still struggle with is releasing tasks by outsourcing them.  And this may be something you cannot afford to do initially, but as soon as you can take advantage of Virtual Assistants who can save you lots of time so you can focus on what is going to make you move forward in your online business.  I'm finally working with a Webmaster as I recognize that he can do things much better and faster than I can and that's helping me to move forward in my own business.

Look for Part 2 in 3 days.

This is a reprint of an article I submitted to ezinearticles.com in 2009.  I feel it cannot be stressed too often that starting a business, online or offline, requires a plan.  Too many people start with no goal in mind other than to make money.  There's nothing wrong with that as we would all like to make money, but in order to do so there must be a plan or a ‘road map' to lead to the goal.

—————————————————————————————————————-

Do you remember the proverb, “Birds of a feather, flock together?”  It is a natural tendency in humans to want to stay in groups with others with whom we feel comfortable – either people we already know or those we share similar interests with.

When it comes to business events like large training groups, business functions and networking events staying within your groups or your clumps may not be a good idea.  What's usually your main reason for attending these events? Would it be for exposure? To get away from your home office, to learn from others, or to interact with peers?  Even if your goal is ‘only' to learn, these are opportunities to get to know other coaches, marketers, direct sellers, etc.

There is always a certain level of comfort when you attend events, especially large ones, with someone with whom you are already familiar.  However, if you congregate with just your known circle, you are not allowing yourself to make meaningful connections and possibly reach new people and companies that you'd like to do business with. YOU may also have the personality or type of business someone else needs. Would it be fair to deprive others of getting to know you?

Breaking out of your clumps or clusters and making connections may be challenging, but it can be done. Develop the mindset of a host who has to circulate among everyone in the room just to be sure they are comfortable. This could mean asking yourself, Who can I help to establish new contacts? Which two people can I introduce to each other whose businesses could support each others? Which speaker impacted me that I can give a sincere compliment.

A point to keep in mind is that while you may be nervous, force yourself not to talk too much. Make brief comments then ask questions that will elicit positive responses.  I once heard a speaker say that you should not talk for longer than 60 seconds without asking a question. Applying this method you could take the pressure off yourself, and the person to whom you're speaking will be thrilled at your level of interest in what he or she has to say.

I invite you to post your comments and share your experience on this topic.