Tracking System

Consistency in building relationships will be difficult to maintain without a method to capture and maintain contact information in a practical way. This means being accessible and easily updated for changes. Contact software such as ACT, Goldmine, and Outlook were created for this purpose. Other options include business card files, Rolodex, Palm Pilots, and planner systems such as Day-timer or Franklin. Choose system that fits your work style and schedule time for communication with your contacts and maintenance of database. This nut and bolts step is an important part of building relationships over time.

Plant a Seed

Think of building relationships in same way as planting seeds. In order for seeds to grow, they need water, food, and sunlight over time. For relationships to grow, you provide opportunities for your network to get to know you, what you provide, and ultimately trust you with their business.

***********Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com. Solo-E.com is coolest place on Web for Solo Entrepreneurs who want affordable, easily accessible and juicy information to create a successful business and life. ***********

Assuming their numbers are valid, this argument does have a point, but one of limited relevance to many situations. Hype may sell, but it may also undercut other business goals, in these ways:

Reputation. In whose eyes do you want credibility? Use this tone and you can expect snickering rather than respect from established journalists, academics, Fortune 500 companies, most people with postgraduate degrees and colleagues who use any of those groups as their benchmark of respectability.

Partnerships and opportunities. If you're aiming at joint ventures with banks, universities, community organizations, trade associations and like, hype counts very heavily against you. You may also endanger your chances of getting a contract from a major publisher if that's among your goals.

Trust. Are you aiming at a one-time sale or a long-term customer? Hype works better in former situation, especially where a buyer believes they can obtain a refund if purchase doesn't live up to promises.

Staying out of legal trouble. Some of techniques listed above either flirt with deception or cross line to lies. The other day I read through a Federal Trade Commission judgment against an Internet marketer for deceptive marketing and believe me, this is wrath you do not want to bring down upon yourself! Make sure you have a nitpicky lawyer to vet your copy if you favor a hyped style.

Please note that it's possible to use a hard-hitting, dramatic direct marketing style with descriptive bullet points, calls to action and so on in connection with entirely truthful and completely respectable copy.

Hype does sell. But that's far from settling issue of whether or not you should use it.