Making a pitch via email to someone that can be a possible gatekeeper, prospect, or strategic partner is important, if you don't have time to put into a well written and clearly presented email, turn car around and do it when you do have time. If you never seem to find time, then look at your priorities, they sound a little off-kilter to me.

I'm not saying you need everything perfect nor have all answers but I am saying that you need to know what you want and say it.

iNetworking isn't any different than in-person networking in many respects. In both, you are building a relationship, it's just not in person, nor local, it's international in many cases. You wouldn't say in first three minutes at an in-person networking event that you want them to be your affiliate, or would you?

iNetworking is about building relationships. I've developed some wonderful networking buddies on Internet over years and they watch my back and I theirs. It isn't all about sales. Yet, each of us knows we need to scratch each other's back. And we do. But not until after initial time together.

Let's summarize these points for clarity. iNetworking is same as in-person networking in that you need to have a clear intention or purpose for making contact, even if reason is to get to know what each of you do. iNetworking works its magic best when it includes at least one phone call after initial contact.

Since I write Internet articles, I set up many relationships with publishers and editors. I don't hesitate to write them. I compliment them on what they are doing right and sometimes give them an idea or two on what other sites are doing to support their writers. They are always grateful because they don't have time to do this. And relationship grows from there. I prefer to follow it up with a phone call or two. I learn about their challenges and I share same.

It doesn't matter who calls whom, be ready with your spiel. What you do or provide and how you do some possible working arrangements. There is a list of 100 by my phone. Allow time to iNetwork but look for people who are ready.

Don't make people guess. Spit it out clearly in your email, edit and edit again if need be. Sometimes I go through six or seven edits to make sure mine are clear. Give others opportunity to network with you. Here's my challenge to you. Who can you reach out to at this exact moment and begin iNetworking? They are waiting to hear from you.

(C) Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

2. Identify Site That *Can* Be Modeled.

While a site, or business, may indeed be super-successful, they may have a *type* of success you can not emulate. Some people have special skills or training that you don't possess.

3. Write Down Common Characteristics.

After you have identified three to five sites, start making your list of success attributes. Do they use long copy on their website? Do their headlines really grab your attention? Do they have long paragraphs of text, or is their web copy short and to point? Are they using audio? Do they have a follow up series, or publish an ezine?

The answers to these questions, and more, will help you draw a profile of what a successful site looks like.

4. Identify How You Can Apply These Characteristics.

These sites *will* have ideas you can imitate. Look for certain ways of saying things, or even certain key phrases, that you can re-phrase and make your own. Putting these ideas in your voice is vital to your success.

5. Change What You Are Doing Now And Test The Results.

Post a new site built upon ideas, thoughts, and phrases you created based on inspiration you found. If possible, send some traffic to both old and new pages to see how well you did. Once you have made some improvement, continue to refine your site until it sings!

While I am NOT suggesting that you copy anyone's website, or even any of phrases they use (we must respect their property) you can learn so much from reviewing successful websites.

If you want to avoid reinventing wheel, and find your shortcut to success, identify your top five favorite sites today and see what they have in common that you can learn from. Soon, it will be your site that others look at as an example. And that's a beautiful thing.