Networking with thank you letters.

by Phil Wiley

Here's an important, short, lesson on the theme of networking with thank you notes.

1...When you mention people in your ezine, or when you refer or link to them on your web site, for heavens sake bash out a quick email to let them know that you've given them some free publicity.

2...Or when you agree with something that someone's written in their ezine, or in a forum, or when you simply love their web site or ebook - write and tell them of your appreciation.

It could very easily lead to new business for you.

I decided to follow this tactic after reading about it in two different books: Bob Berg's "Endless Referrals" and Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

Because "How to Win Friends..." was first published in 1936 I'd never bothered reading it before, thinking how could it possibly have any relevance to doing business today.

But I was wrong. Much of it is still fascinating reading. On page 132 of my paperback copy, in the chapter How to Make People Like You Instantly, I read a story that I saw can be instantly applied to achieving success on the Internet.

It's about the philosophy of appreciation, and how you can work magic with it everyday. The story is too long to use here ( you should read the book ) ... but basically it says that you should say thank you to everyone whose work or personality you appreciate.

Now imagine if you start sending thank you notes to everyone whose work you appreciate on the Internet. It might be a forum post you agree with...
respond in the forum but also write a personal note to their email address. It might be an article you enjoyed...send them a note. It could be an idea someone has expressed on their web site...send them a note.

Write it something along these lines:

"Jim,

I'm just writing to say how much I enjoyed the article on your web site about skinning toads for fun and profit. It really taught me a lot... I will be recommending your site to all my friends. Keep up the great work. "

Don't expect to see an immediate payback with this kind of "networking" and don't, in any way at all, hit them with a sales pitch. Not even in your sig file. But you can, and should, put your url under your name. And they'll be bound to visit your site and perhaps refer it on to others, maybe using your thank-
you note as a testimonial which could be seen by many thousands of people.

Here's how it's just worked for me:

A couple of editions ago I listed what I think are the net's best ezines. And I wrote to each newsletter editor to tell them that I'd chosen them, and to say how much I appreciated their work. I received a lovely letter back from
Dr Ralph Wilson of "Web Marketing Today" but even better I got a big write up in Ken Evoy's newsletter at http://salesnow.sitesell.com

And that day the hits to my web site were double the usual number. Networking with appreciation letters really works. Get to it.

Here's one I've just written to Heidi publisher of a fairly new ezine at Home Business Online.

Heidi

I subscribed to your ezine five issues ago and never got around to reading it. Until today!

And once I got started I was hooked. As soon as I'd read the latest issue I had to go back through my mail and find the rest to read straight- away.

They're all very good indeed. I can see why your subscriber list is growing so quickly.

Congratulations.

Phil

Now lets see how that one works. I'll let you know.