With the advent of many new ways of building a network marketing business completely online, the important personal relationships that traditionally have been a key to success in network marketing have often tended to fall through the cracks. These relationships, however, are just as crucial as they always have been. In fact, they provide the glue that holds a network marketing team together and are highly necessary for its long-term success.

Although there are many advantages of utilizing all of the new hi-tech online resources that are available for quickly building a large business downline, the ongoing success of any network marketing business is still determined in large part by the development and maintenance of high quality relationships among team members. It's especially important for leaders to build a close personal relationship with all of their team members and to guide and mentor them consistently and effectively in achieving success.

Here are 11 important guidelines for doing this effectively:

1. Organize yourself constantly with the conscious awareness that the optimal way to help yourself in this business is to invest yourself skillfully in helping others. The word, "skillfully," as outlined below, is very important.

2. Communicate clearly and strongly to all new members of your team your unconditional positive regard for them from the very outset, along with your belief that they have the potential to achieve a high degree of success in the business. Continue to reinforce this high positive regard and belief on an ongoing basis in every way possible.

3) Contact all new enrollees as soon as possible after they join your team and ensure that they have a clear understanding of the first steps to take in getting started in the business.

4) Make yourself highly available to them, especially during the first few weeks as they "learn the ropes." Invite them to call and/or email you with any questions or problems they encounter and also initiate contact with them by phone and/or through email regularly during this period. If possible, set up a regular once-a-week mentoring conference.

5) Provide ongoing specific guidance and also a high degree of reinforcement for all of their achievements and steps toward success, no matter how small they may be.

6) Above all else, model effective leadership skills to them in the recognition that they are likely to do unto the people they sponsor as has been done unto them. A high degree of integrity is of the utmost importance in this regard.

7) During the initial introductory period, emphasize the crucial importance of a high degree of ongoing commitment and coachability and carefully assess the degree to which they each demonstrate these qualities. Carefully assess their level of motivation/commitment and degree of coachability during this "honeymoon period." Thereafter, continue to invest time and energy with each of them in direct proportion to the degree that they demonstrate these key qualities. Above all, do not become "over-responsible" in doing more for them then they are willing to do for themselves.

8) Keep all members of your team up-to-date on any and all new developments in the business and encourage them to participate actively on conference calls and other important business meetings.

9) Provide ongoing skills training, along with inspirational/motivational input in every way possible.

10) Encourage/support them in setting specific personal goals and in tracking their success in achieving these goals.

11) Do everything possible to help them to achieve some early financial success. For most people, this is of key importance in preventing discouragement and in increasing motivation to work harder.

Network Marketers who integrate the best features of online marketing systems with these important leadership principles are likely to increase their level of success massively.

For an outstanding example of just such a system that simultaneously emphasizes hi-tech and hi-touch, please visit my website.