Pro’s and Con’s of Internet Marketing Seminar Networking

Subscribe in a reader Internet Business September 23rd, 2007

Any life coach or marketing expert will tell you that the key to a successful venture is remembering you are not in business alone. First, there is the client to think of, and how to get more of them. Second, there are the suppliers or employers who provide or pay for your services and finally there are the experts. The Shutting yourself away from knowledge, techniques and resources is a sure ticket to a mediocre business and unsatisfying career. more information you get from other people the better a job you can do with your business.

Naturally, when you go to an internet-marketing seminar the first question you have to ask yourself is, “how can I make the most of my time and money?” The first answer should be to obtain as many resources as possible. Networking is the practice of meeting clients, or contacts and creating a relationship with them that is mutually beneficial and adds to the resource structure of your business. It involves not just the simple swapping of contact information, but a commitment to work together in a support way that shares the best of what business has to offer.

As you set out to do some networking at the next seminar, its best to take a look at the pro’s and cons of the practice.

The Pro’s Vs. Con’s 

Pro: You have the potential to meet someone who can provide effective techniques or client support in a way that rockets your income. New ideas from other sources are important to keep your business fresh and active.

Con: You may also end up giving your contact information to someone who wants to use your ideas and becomes overly dependent on you for resourcing without having much to offer in return. Make sure to try to keep your relationships in balance.

Pro: You get to learn new ideas about ways to bring more traffic, clicks, success or clients to your website. As people learn better ways of handling the rollercoaster ride of internet business you can benefit from that knowledge and add new components to the website.

Con: Everyone at the seminar is learning the same techniques as you. So when you get home and get your plan into motion, remember, 2000 other marketers just started doing the same things too.

Pro: You get the advice of people who have worked in internet marketing longer than you have and know what makes the whole project tick. Successful entrepreneurs can fill you in on secrets you would have never imagined.

Con: Not every secret is a good one or a legal one. Its especially important to remember to check out ideas against the rules of your terms of service agreements and make sure things are okay before you end up getting kicked off a server for violating policy. The person who shared the tip with you is not the one who is going to take the fall for wrong behavior. If it sounds wrong to you – it probably is.

Pro: Networking brings new people into your life work and adds a sense of camaraderie to your profession. It can give you more joy and community to share in as you work to make money.

Con: Networking takes time and energy away from the seminar. You will have to balance the time you spend networking with others with the time you are devoting to the main speaker and principles of the seminar. Don’t get so carried away with the participants that you forget the purpose of the event.

Pro: Networking can bring you out of your comfort zone and encourage you to create prospects for your own business as well as help you adapt to the social business world found beyond the doors of your computer room.

Con: Networking can also take your focus away from what you do best. Diversity may be good for a full portfolio of web opportunities, but if you spread yourself too thin by trying every niche idea or strategy available your income will soon go down in all your interests.

Pro: Networking helps you make a name for yourself, your business and your websites online so more people can find you and find out about the products or projects you promote. It is a great way to build a client base or get the message out to others about your site.

Con: Networking also lets others know what you are doing and can create a situation where other people follow your example. Suddenly, you’ve gone from having an exclusive site on the web to having a portal that others are using to piggy back on your success. You can suffer from a loss of uniqueness through the imitation of ideas you have given to allies.

Summary 

Overall, with all the plusses and minuses put together, networking still seems like an important way to continue looking for business success. With careful limits and the right amount of boundaries and balance, you can limit the risk to your business and maximize what you hope to achieve. Networking creates success in a social context, which is every bit as important as the individual work you are doing. It also can help you find fresh prospects, develop databases of information and resources and keep you on the cutting edge of skills and practices. Even though you work for yourself, you don’t have to go it alone.