techhints 
Social Networking is like a Party
Only there’s no food or Music
I love Perry Belcher’s concept in this video that visiting social networking sites equates to going to a party, where you will be meeting new people and forging embryonic yet hopefully lasting and mutually beneficial relationships. The social networking experience, unlike any other, allows you to vet your fellow partygoers before the big event via a read of their profiles and a search to ensure that you share mutual interests. For marketers, it’s a new way of networking, but whether the party is online or offline, the rules that dictate success remain the same.
What Turns You off at a Party?
The sure-fire way to Marketing Failure
Think about what turns you off at a party. More likely than not, the bore who goes on and on about themselves and worse than that, their business, ss, and does not allow you to get a word in edgeways. Imagine if someone introduced themselves to you at a party and then tried to sell something to you straight away. How would you feel? No doubt you’d want to get away quickly. That’s because you failed to understand the basic concept of networking.
The Basic Concept of Networking
“The first rule of fight club is do not mention fight club,” – The first rule of marketing is……?
The basic concept of network marketing is that you are NOT trying to sell to people at the party, you are forging associations, and if you are sincere and transparent, hopefully, some friendships that will last over time, too. What many dissenters fail to understand is that marketers are human, like anyone else, with a need for connection, sharing, and empathy. No doubt many of the people that you connect with will never prove profitable to your busines,s but if you choose wisely, you will meet many interesting and genuine people with whom you can share life stories, idea,s and humour.
So if I’m not selling to the people at the party
What am I doing?
Once you get to the party, if you are skilled at forming relationships, your needs become less important and your fellow partygoers become paramount. You will let them do most of the talking and find out all about their lives. It’s highly likely, though, that they will ask you at some stage in the conversation about what you do, and it is wise to give them the info they seek in a quick 30-second to 1-minute elevator pitch. Any longer and you may end up boring them.
Third Party Referrals
The jewel in the crown of network marketing
Over time, your social networking friends will have grown to know and trust you. It is at this point that your business may well reap the benefit of all your patience and hard work. Let’s say you are a mortgage broker. Say, too, that your social networking friend has an associate or relative who happens to be looking for a broker to get them a good mortgage deal. Surely, they’ll remember you and say, “Hey, you know, I’ve got a social networking friend who does exactly that for people. How ’bout I give her a buzz?” The beauty of this scenario is that if you do a first-class job, your friend is likely, over time, to supply you with a continual stream of such third-party referrals. Better than a hard sell one-off? Most, I’m sure, we would agree, there’s no doubt about it.
Giving Back
Give and you will receive
Successful networkers are invariably generous, empathetic, etic, and caring. Anything else, else, and the insincerity will show through unless you’re one of the very rare master scammers that lurk in back alleys, in which case, get off my site. Successful and ethical networkers will want to give back to their fellow networkers as much or even more than they receive. They will always be determining what would be of value to their network friends and striving to supply it. That may come in the form of business leads, low-fat recipes, covert information, or even info for music fans relating to where last-minute concert tickets can be obtained.
Happily, all this generosity will reflect on you. After all, how much more likely would you be to give to someone who gave willingly to you? Besides, it will make you feel great to be part of the positive energy that is circulating in the social networking cloud out there.
