EnTrends

And more important, don't expect an
instantly gratifying, panacean
solution. It's takes work. Hard work.
Like building a house, your Internet
success still needs to be built
somehow -- it can't be built by itself.
But it doesn't always have to be hard
work. You can certainly work smarter:
With the right tools, your "house"
can be built much faster, stronger
and straighter.

Don't kid yourself. There is no magic
wand out there that will do it for you.
And trust me, there are a lot of
"smoke and mirrors" out there (get
rich quick schemes), especially on
the web -- I've been a victim too
many times. But also, don't despair
after the first setback. Turn your
setback into feedback and you will
simply add more tools to your
toolbox.

Above All, Learn From People

In my life, I was lucky to have several
mentors assist me in my beginnings.
One in particular will remain in my
heart for a long time -- a man, Pierre
A., who literally built a multinational
empire out of a small, basement
apartment business. Online, potential
mentors (let alone partners,
associates, colleagues, strategic
alliances and friends) exist by the
thousands.

As discussed in my book, "The 10
Commandments of Power
Positioning" (get a free copy at
http://SuccessDoctor.com
http://success-doctor.com/offer.htm),
one should vigorously seek out
alliances -- there are as many
different forms of strategic alliances
out there as there are online
businesses. I also firmly believe that
the web is an incredibly fertile
ground for such arrangements.

Why? It's because the only thing
that separates us all are computer
screens. Cyberspace is indeed a cold
world. And not only customers but
also business owners are constantly
looking for ways of humanizing their
online activities. It makes perfect
sense to finally add a voice if not a
face to those plain text messages we
receive in our email inboxes on a
daily basis.

Second, if the online world doesn't
know you exist, you don't. Period.
But through such alliances you have
the ability to leverage your visibility,
your sales and eventually your
success -- and quite effectively too, I
might add. I guess you can say that
it all boils down to the famous
"Mastermind Group Principle"
originally taught by Napoleon Hill.
Let me explain.

The Driving Force Behind the Web

Mr. Hill, the grandfather of success
principles, wrote in his book "Think
and Grow Rich
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido
s/ASIN/0449911462/thesuccessdocto
r) that successful people are those
who develop relationships with like-
minded people. While the book was
written almost a century ago (long
before the Internet or computer),
those principles still ring true today.

Strategic alliances thrive on the web.
I believe it's part of John Nesbitt's
prediction that we're moving towards
the high-tech/high-touch, made in
his book Megatrends
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido
s/ASIN/0446356816/thesuccessdocto
r) Even psychologist Wayne Dyer
once said, "We are human BEINGS,
not human DOINGS." To paraphrase,
we are real people and not just a
bunch of commands, scripts and
email links.

Lester B. Thurow, in his great book
(Building Wealth
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos
/ASIN/0887309518/thesuccessdoctor
) mentioned that most of today's
billionaires -- including Bill Gates,
now the richest man in the world --
do not really own anything. Unlike
the rich people of yesteryear, these
billionaires do not own oil refineries,
gold, manufacturing plants or real
estate. They own soft goods:
Information. Not only that, what they
only exists with the help of some
unseen force (i.e., electricity). In
short, they own nothing.

With today's knowledge-based
economy, more people will become
rich than ever before. Whether your
business sells a tangible or an
intangible product, selling on the
web is still a process that's really
based on nothing. So the key is to
create

alliances with the entities behind
those nothings: Real people, because
they can help turn those nothings
into somethings.

It's a Small World After All

This certainly applies to customers
and customer service. But it also
includes developing solid
relationships with other webmasters,
Internet marketers and business
owners to help build one's business.
Of course, email is free for most and
therefore an economical means of
communication. But surprisingly,
online discussions or chats, phone
calls and even face-to-face meetings
with some of the people behind
those electronic veils we call web
sites -- key people from whom you
can learn -- can become quite
positive and richly rewarding.

Being alone in a world of
nothingness is indeed a cold
prospect. You don't have to be. In
fact, if you take a look at the most
successful Internet marketers out
there you will always find that there
are some kind of partnerships,
alliances or joint ventures
somewhere in the mix. For instance,
my associates Jess and Kenny, the
owners of IMC, are formidable
examples.

Speaking of IMC, its discussion
boards (http://success-
doctor.com/articles/question4.htm at
http://SuccessDoctor.com/IMC,
http://success-doctor.com/IMC) are
maintained not by one but by a panel
of Internet marketers who share their
wisdom, successes and mistakes --
people with whom members can
easily develop a certain kinship and
receive priceless advice. More
important, such forums can often
become the springboards for many
successful and enduring online
partnerships -- they have been for
me.

In essence, look at ways of building
relationships online not only with
your customers but also with others
who can help you. Networking is not
a concept strictly limited to multi-
level marketing, affiliate programs
and resellers. They also include
suppliers, associates, webmasters,
non-