Our times are fast. Our life is fast. All time we're in a rush for something, using faster and faster means, leaving behind everything that seems to slow us down, sometimes even proven principles of proper, polite behaviour or proper, professional business principles.

Most of people coming to Net expect riches. Fast. Now. And Hype tries to make them believe it and pursue get-rich-quick schemes without thinking, without proper work, without discipline, without ethic. Business Ethic. Writing Ethic.

And online business is based on writing. So, in all rush, Email bathes in full sun of attention of all people online. It complies with requirements: it's fast, can be automated, it has a vast reach, everyone praises it: professionals and Hype in a unity. What's problem then?

No doubt, Email is a powerful tool, but as with all tools, it is necessary to know how to use it to get best possible results.

Anyone should never forget that Email substitutes a business letter, a professional business letter in our online life. Any business presence has its strict laws if it should be successful, and no one will argue that all people want to succeed in their online business.

How is it then they believe that without a proper business correspondence, ie a proper business presence in market, they can succeed. The point is that they CANNOT.

Let's stop for a minute and revise basic writing rules of an old-fashioned, good business letter (- if you try hard you will remember - that piece of paper in an envelope that we still sometimes get in our offline life :-)).

An Email of a proper netpreneur should have same features. Yes, I said 'features', though we should never stress features. But everyone must feel them within us, and then we can dare to talk about benefits. So we will talk about features now.

In a single introductory sentence I will say that a written language has its laws that must NOT be broken. I used word 'language', not slang, not individual words or exclammations. And a proper professional, business Email should be written in a proper, polite, business language in proper formatting and contain:

1) Proper Greeting - it's not 'Hey' or 'Hi Guy's', it's not even: 'Got a shock'. And not even: 'I've got to tell you this!!!' Take out one of old-fashioned physical business letters and compare it to some of emails you get. And think: Who would it be to do business with? Would you dare to send an offline business letter starting with a greeting like that? And more: would you expect person to respond, to do business with you, a customer to buy from you? I'm sure you answered: No. I'm glad you did.

2) Proper opening sentence - It's none of above though you get emails opened exactly that way. If you write to a stranger you should tell him who you are and why you're writing. Don't tell a novel to person - just a sentence. A full sentence. Not isolated two, three words.

The other day I received an email from one of my bankers - yes, one of cold bankers, and opening started:

'Dear Mrs W, I wish you a beautiful day.'

And then he continued usual way. I loved it. And it's definitely not only way to go.

By Christopher Wright,Guerrilla Marketer Copyright New Innovations

Survivor...the show goes something along these lines. They take a group of people and place them in remote destinations. Then we wait and see who forms partnerships...and who double crosses who (whom?). What if someone dropped you off in middle of Internet (where would that be anyway?) and you had 30 days to make a profit, what would you do?

Well, that's exactly situation one faces when they decide to pursue an Internet venture. This is where many become infected with deadly virus...'get-richous-quickitis'. When infected, you become susceptible to 'dark side' of Internet marketing. You begin practicing dark arts...bulk email (spam), FFA link pages, and safe-lists (opt-in spam) just to name a few. Is there any cure for this disease? Yes!

The first thing people should (or eventually will) realize is that Internet itself is not a business, just a business tool. Arguably most powerful tool invented...but nevertheless just a tool. What this means is that rules of business have not changed, just way they're implemented.