Navigating the Waters of Internet Business Opportunities Part Two

Making Contact and Reading Between the Lines.

By Gary W. Miller Jr.

Today I'm going to pick right up where we left on last time beginning with making contact with potential businesses. If you followed the outline from the last entry, you should have some websites bookmarked in your browser that got your attention. Also, do you remember that idea I suggested about designing your dream list of things you could do if you had a little or a lot more money? Did you make one? If you didn't I want you to stop reading right now and go make that list. Get the juices going and think big. NEVER NEVER NEVER limit yourself to status quo when visualizing your dreams. Let it rip when you design your future and whatever you do, don't hold back.

Now that we've got that covered, before you start making contact, I highly recommend you go out and create a new Internet mail account on any of the many free email sites available such as Inbox, Google, or Yahoo. The reason I say this is because once you make initial contact with potential businesses you are going to get a ton of email. You may not want that clogging up your regular email address. Plus, let's think about it, you're investigating business opportunities because you want to create new things in your life right? So let's get the new things started off right by having a separate email address for your business endeavors.

Once you've got your email set up, it's time to Opt In with the businesses you find interesting. Opting In simply means you are going to fill out some basic information so that businesses can contact you about their opportunities. Here are a few rules of the road for Opting In.

1) Opting In does not mean you are committing in any way so don't be afraid to click send. You need information and Opting In is the best way to start the ball rolling for deeper investigation into any opportunity.

2) Leave your basic email information and name. Skip the phone number section. Remember, we're investigating at this stage so we're keeping our potential marketers at arms length.

Without a doubt, probably immediately, you'll begin to get responses in your email box. These responses you are getting are generally pre-written pitches designed to get you excited about the opportunity. The key with reading sales letters as a prospective investor in an opportunity is to read them like a true critique. Try to poke holes or identify where their are holes in the story. For instance, maybe the sales letter is full of HUGE numbers and profit possibilities but says very little about the specifics of the compensation plan. (a very common problem by the way) Make note of that. Write a quick list of your potential objections and questions and then make direct contact with the sponsor who emailed you. Do this for all the opportunities that initially peeked your interest.

A sure fire way to see if a sponsor and their opportunity is someone you want to deal with is if they actually respond to you personally and not with another pre-written pitch letter. If you continue to get pre-written letters scratch that opportunity off your list or at least that particular sponsor. Remember, if you can't get them to answer questions directly now, do you really think they will be available to help you when you have problems down the road with the business? Probably not.

If they do write back, make sure they actually answer your questions and that they don't just re-sell their great ideas or shift the topic to something totally unrelated to your inquiry. If they don't answer questions to your satisfaction, get rid of them. If they answer some but not all, press them on the issues, and if again they fail to answer, get rid of them. This process is a way sorting through the scams and finding legitimate sponsors who are willing to help you succeed.

During all of these exchanges, remember be the professional. Just because you're pressing for detailed answers and being a tough customer doesn't mean you have license to be rude or obnoxious in the process. Sew good seeds in your communication of positive, professional, behavior.

Their has been a lot of information in this post so let's review.

1) Get a separate business opportunities email address.
2) Opt In to all the opportunities that peaked your interest.
3) Be the critique. Find holes in the sales letters you receive.
4) Send direct emails to the sponsors asking very detailed questions.
5) If they answer straight ahead, you've got a real potential sponsor and business. If they don't get rid of them.

When all is said and done you'll have some narrowed down opportunities. Now it's time to assess which is the best one for you. We'll cover the factors that make up that decision next time. In the meantime, live radically!

Gary