Networking vs. Leads

As I have begun and returned to and studied and taken the journey with digital/network marketing I have discovered there
is one thing that all internet businesses need and that is one of two things: a smooth process of networking or leads.
The difference between networking and leads is that networking is a more indirect way of doing business and leads is a
direct way of doing business. If you do leads, you need a funnel, an email marketing system, a cold-calling/telemarketing
setup and a stockpile of leads to feed into your system. That is a solid way of doing business on the internet because
it allows you to get your business up and running fast. If you could find a simple way of collecting those leads such
as paid lead packages or simply marketing the funnel it self, you easily can contact your leads and send them to your internet
business. However, networking is a different process in a sense, because you are working to get your leads, then you are
building a connection with your leads without directly sending them to your system at first, but creating a platform for
connecting with them. Once you have gained their trust, now you are able to work at persuading them to get involved
with you on a business level and perhaps do business with you. Networking allows you to utilize indirect ways of marketing
such as social media, seo, blogging, working for employers and doing B2B, and then not getting leads, but rather referrals
into your business that eventually become leads. This is the very essence of inbound marketing whereas leads is more like
outbound marketing.

Inbound marketing and networking similarly allow you to meet new people, develop a warm market, develop your technique,
build a network, develop your target market, and to submit content to a niche audience. Outbound marketing or leads allows
you to develop your cold market, speak to new clients, develop your direct marketing technique and script, build a stream of
customers quickly, and setup a streaming sales platform for, which you can attract customers, yet filter leads into and out
of your system, and possibly get sales faster. However, everyone knows that leads are a lot of work, involving a lot of rejection,
potentially taking longer than you hope to get a first sale, and take a whole entire system that has to filter the leads well
enough to get customers, but ultimately a final sale. Yet, leads are something that every business needs and everybody
wants in their business. Networking on the other hand, takes a lot of work, especially if you do not have a deep network
already of friends, colleagues and referrals to send to your opportunity. Everywhere you go you know you must meet somebody
that you can build a network with in order to refer them to your business opportunity itself. And for this reason, networking
can be more time consuming than leads or outbound marketing.

Since every business needs leads, then perhaps leads are not so bad after all, business is business. In order to get the
leads you already know that it will take work. Therefore, I find networking the perfect channel for collecting leads. In
networking you are developing a business presence, connecting with your audience, and building a network of friends perhaps
for long-term, so eventually you will not be doing an injustice by contacting some of these in your network to propose a
sale or offer or pitch something about your business. One thing is that if you have built the relationship well enough
it won't hurt the relationship. However, if you are still in the process, then you can wait to pitch your opportunity until
the time is right. You will know it and then your customers will be happy to hear from you. That is the purpose of a network.
You eventually will run into a point where you can share a bit about yourself, not only the opportunity. You will be able
to say "Hi, I am so and so, and I am on this platform to meet new people and network. I am from such and such city. I have
a background in such and such a field. And as a side hustle or business opportunity I am involved with such and such a
company or opportunity. I have been with them for such and such amount of time and I have made such and such an amount
with it or gained an asset with this business, and I have learned such and such about the business. Here is some information
(a blog post by the company, a link to the company's website, or something in your own words). If you would like to know how I
have made money with this company or what an asset this company is, then please let me know and I can send you some more information and you can contact me personally or share with me your contact information. I am glad we talked, and so on"... This allows you to connect on a personal level. By then you will have segwayed into the lead process and passed through to networking, which is by this point more natural and you can stop the process at any time before jumping into a pitch. Then if you get rejected, which doesn't make sense that you would, if you have known this person, you will be able to thank them and move on without having lost anything. With leads, you bought the lead, so there is a blunt loss in rejection as well as not getting the lead moving forward into the sales process.

Finally, which ever way you go, know that each method takes some time. However, with leads you are taking a more direct
approach with you customers. So if you are able and motivated at it, you can build a great system and develop Like-Know-And-Trust
as you go. Your customers will sense you are experienced enough to explain this opportunity to them without hoopla. You can
cut to the chase as needed and pitch your script to them, giving them a clear chance to decide and to accept. As they see you
succeed, they will want to succeed and follow your method and system. However, if you choose networking, you will find that
you have a wealth of techniques to approach your customers and so it will take time to develop the pitch that you eventually
will need to form in order to attract the sale. Yet, that is the fun of the process itself. Therefore, enjoying either process
is what gets you excited and you have no beef with whatever you do. Nevertheless, its all about what works for you and your
customers. As Adam Smith said, "A nation is not made wealthy by the childish accumulation of shiny metals, but it enriched by the
economic prosperity of it's people." In other words, a businessman is well off to conduct good business itself as a principle and
then thereby doing so can satisfy the economy at large and reap the necessary rewards of that business. Personally, I find networking to be the more attractive of the two stated, yet I know that leads are a valuable part of business transactions. The system you create by networking in the manner you choose will allow for the leads that come in from the cold market resulting in a new level in your business.