Nothing in world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes hard; gentle overcomes rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice. (Tao Te Ching, ch. 78)

"What is path of least resistance in an email?", I hear you ask. Offer something free!

Successful web marketers know this already. I recently did a survey of Resource Boxes of fifty well known Ezine Writers. Over 90% of them were not trying to sell anything from their Resource Box. In fact, an overwhelming majority were not even trying to get a click-thru to their website - they were simply offering a free subscription to their Newsletter. In other words, they were more interested in building a long-term relationship than they were in making a quick sale.

When I started out on Internet, I was pretty impatient. I certainly didn't want to follow path of least resistance. The path I had in mind was more like flight of an arrow - straight to it's target.

But statistics suggest that most web sales are not made like that; on average your customer will have to see your message seven times before he or she buys your product.

So next time you plan your marketing strategy, why not take a lesson from Water and follow path of least resistance?

Observation: It is amazing how many successful network marketers (heavy hitters) market generic business support and training materials. (At some point in time they will "pitch" their opportunity; "back-end" opportunity if you will). Makes you wonder where money is.

Does it pay to join a business opportunity "under" a heavy hitter or use their secrets?

In my opinion, answer is a resounding NO. The reason is, to copy a phrase from financial industry, that past performance is no indication of future success. What worked for one person, may not work for another because of differences in circumstances, individual skills and like. Remember guy in desert?

In fact, joining a business opportunity under a heavy hitter may be detrimental to your wealth health.

For long term residual income, a business must be based on retailing or consumption of products or services. Consumers must want and use products because of value associated with product. Not fact that there is a business opportunity associated with product. If people join a business opportunity because of compensation plan or "personality" currently promoting opportunity, there is a tendency for them to leave when a better compensation plan or "personality" comes along. There is nothing worse than having a portion of your downline disappear because they moved to another opportunity with one of your upline members.

Another key to success and long term residual income, if you are not going to work numbers, is to take time to develop strong relationships with your business partners. Be selective with whom you allow into your business. Ideally, they will be your business partners for a long time to come. Developing strong bonds protects you and your partners from vagaries of business life like changes in company policy, compensation etc.

The truth is: get rich slowly. Build relationships first.