INTRODUCTION

As the technology rise in the millennium era, many startup entrepreneurs make innovation
to reach their goals. Brick and mortar businesses were good, but technology makes it a better world.
It is including the person who behind all the achievement of iSYNERGY Group Limited success until
today. The person is Dato’ Lawrence Teo, the managing director of iSYNERGY, the affiliate marketing
provider in southeast Asian.  His innovation in introducing the concept of affiliate marketing in
Malaysia marks him as the pioneer of the Malaysian affiliate marketing industry. Dato’ Lawrence has
over 14 years of experience in creative and strategic planning where he specialises in the integration
of affiliate marketing solution to businesses. As an innovative entrepreneur, Dato’ Lawrence has
significant presence in the brick and mortar business industry, and he has been featured on various
national media outlets to share his expertise and views on the industry. iSYNERGY was founded in
2008 in Malaysia and has grown to become one of Malaysia’s leading affiliate marketing network
and solutions provider. iSYNERGY connects advertisers with affiliates, via its affiliate marketing
platform, to deliver performance-based affiliate marketing solutions that enhance product/brand
awareness and drive business leads. The affiliate marketing platform is called Affiliate Junction and it
is home to more than 30,000 affiliates and 2,500 advertisers. iSYNERGY provides affiliate marketing
solutions to advertisers, to enable them to leverage on cost-effective and performance-based
marketing channels and strategies. The company’s solutions and programs mean advertisers can
harness valuable consumer data, drive sales, and increase their return on investment. Through its
leading affiliate network of more than 30,000 affiliates, iSYNERGY connects businesses with their
intended target audience to drive product awareness and increase sales. Furthermore, its leading
support system provides a broad range of resources and tools to help affiliates and advertisers reach
their business objectives. Under the platform, there is a variety of affiliate programs offered which
cater to different business segments and markets. In 2009, the company launched its first affiliate
marketing campaign and following the success of several subsequent campaigns, its affiliate
marketing platform, Affiliate Junction (AJ,) was launched in 2010. Affiliate Junction is the proprietary
affiliate marketing platform by iSYNERGY. Launched in 2010, Affiliate Junction offers affiliate
marketing solutions to advertisers and affiliates through a single platform. Advertisers offer affiliates
commission via Affiliate Junction in exchange for promoting their products and services to users
which resulted in the intended business objectives. Advertisers can access a range of online and
offline affiliate programs to connect with affiliates to effectively target users. Affiliate Junction
automatically tracks and reports on each campaign’s success, thus providing powerful insights to the
advertiser. Each affiliate receives structured training and support to help them maximise their
performance. Affiliate Junction is a full-service system that swiftly and simply manages all affiliate
and advertiser activities through the platform. Today, AJ is Malaysia’s leading and premier affiliate
network with more than 25,000 affiliates and 1,000 advertisers on the platform. Through AJ,
advertisers can leverage on the platform’s affiliates as marketeers who promote their products and
services to the intended target audience, and in return the affiliates earn commission for their
successful marketing efforts. Promotional activities are carried out by affiliates through a range of
online and offline channels. Also launched in 2010 is AJ’s anchor affiliate program, the MyKad Smart
Shopper (MSS), which falls under the retail business segment. The retail affiliate program leverages
on MyKad, the Malaysian national identity smart card, as the member ID. Users must first register
their MyKad via affiliates or the program’s website to become a member. Once they have become a
member, they are able to enjoy a range of rewards and offers when they shop at any of the
participating advertisers’ offline/online outlets. The company then developed and launched the
Retail Network Affiliate Program (RNAP) in 2014. RNAP offers retailers a well-established network of
affiliates to promote and refer their brands and help recruit new partners for their business
expansion. The launch of RNAP helped build AJ’s affiliate base to 10,000 affiliates by the end of 2014.
On the back of the success of AJ and the MSS and RNAP affiliate programs, I Synergy Holdings
Berhad was incorporated and gets officially listed on the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX)
in August 2015. In 2016, MSS’ online shopping platform, Smart$aver, was launched. Through the
introduction of Smart$aver, MSS now offers both offline and online affiliate marketing solutions for
the platform’s retail advertisers. Building on its established presence in the retail sector, iSYNERGY
expanded its affiliate program offerings which cater to different business segments. The affiliate
programs are Sports Access Network: Fit Tix (sports and recreation), Hot-Assist Affiliate Program
(assistance services), GetDoc Affiliate Program (health and wellness) and OPPO Affiliate Program
(telecommunications). As part of its international expansion strategy, PT Inovatif Sinergi
Internasional was incorporated in Jakarta, Indonesia and simultaneously, Affiliate Junction Indonesia
was launched. Soon after, AJ Indonesia first affiliate program was introduced, the Smart$aver
Indonesia, an offline and online retail affiliate program. I Synergy Group Limited was successfully
listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX Code: IS3) in March 2017. The listing is a
momentous milestone for the company as it aligns with its business strategy to expand its
operations and network into different countries in Southeast Asia.

STRATEGIC NETWORKING TECHNIQUES

Behind every successful person has their own recipe or principles to achieve that. Dato’
Lawrence Teo has it all as he emerged as the top salesperson in insurance industry within the first
breakthrough to entrepreneurship. He also said that the relationship building is the priority in
making all this success happen. Building trusting relationships and developing rapport with clients,
which can motivate them to move toward successful and desirable change[ CITATION Tah12 \l
1033 ]. Attract them with your natural personalities, it will be building an enormous boost in
networking with acquaintances. In addition, he recalled back to the journey of building iSYNERGY as
it is today whereby, he did 3 jobs at a time to survive financially at that time. He involves in the
working as an engineer, direct-seller, and insurance agent. He said that the first time he services a
client, just met at a mamak restaurant and sitting beside him. He creates rapport with him as
building trust to him. As the conversation ends, it led to the first appointment as he does for a living
as a doctor. That is when embarking a viral within layang-layang, the region that he started as an
agent and reached top sales at that time. As time goes by, he applied the technique until today, he
collaborates with more than thousand advertisers, entrepreneurs and creating more successful
entrepreneurs. Other than that, throughout the interview with him, he added the phrase ‘leadership
begins at the end of your comfort zone[ CITATION Ryd13 \l 1033 ]’. Until today, he dedicated all the
commitment just to make sure all the affiliates, advertisers and customers satisfied with the services
that the company offered. The example of this can be showed, he is a part of Malaysian Retail Chain
Association (MRCA) member which is alien for him. With this new network he ventures with, he can
integrate, ventured, and synergised to with his founded platform. Once you organize your
communication tactics and strategies around these available communication resources, things will
move faster[ CITATION CKo20 \l 1033 ]. It can be proven by researched about the background of
Dato Lawrence Teo on the internet. Many speculations of him expose in the social media whether it
is good or bad impression about him. If we look at the success of his company throughout the years,
such as iSYNERGY listed at the main board of Australia Stock Exchange (ASX) and the ground-
breaking record of sharia-compliant operated company in Malaysia. This is what makes his
background stronger background check before possessing big-time deals, exciting offers, and the
expansion of the company as well. Other than that, Dato’ Lawrence Teo possess a unique character
to his employees, business partners and colleague such as his listening skills. During the interview of
this session, politely he asks, the help that needed. Asking with softly has become an integral part in
making deals, negotiations and succeed in projects. However, Dato’ Lawrence Teo experience it
during the downfall times of social media criticize him as untrustworthy person. The social media
claims that the platform is not understandable for most people in southeast Asian region. The
ecosystem that he founded makes all sides of SME’s, start-ups, and customers to enjoy various
benefits for them in long term. He responded to the critics by invited the party to listen to them first
and directed them the whole concept. Furthermore, he always keeps in touch with all his staff,
partners, and customers as well. Although most of the time working with his company staffs, the
communication with the business partners always been a priority to him. As experienced before, he
asks for opinion from business partner before reaching the office at certain times. Usually he did that
after coaching his partners or networks just to make sure deficientness of his sessions. However, all
these exciting stories not easily created with failures comes along the journey. But some of these
stories may not end up with happy ending story. Dato Lawrence Teo faced difficulties in putting
delegation for certain works. As the innovation rises, many of his workers or staffs took advantage
with the company. As many reports on fake duty reports and tasks given, he said that these barrier
in choosing the right staff may be the weakness that he needs to improve.Trust the right person for
specific role must take a full attention as it will affect the costs, timeframe and risking all the
stakeholders involves in the company. Other than that, choosing the bad community also build
negativity inside his mind. For start-ups, these challenges might occur because of lack of experience
in strategic networking. It is because start-ups cannot identify the right network that can get
enormous boost for their business. For example, he added that he consumes for about a year
involve with the side of criticize him as a negative figure. At the end of the day, he realises that the
other side is suffering mental-health illness. As time goes by, Dato Lawrence Teo faced difficulties
during the rise time of his company achievements. He dedicated all his commitment including his
family time, emergencies family matter and financial just to bring iSYNERGY listed in ASX main board.
Arguments between families, friends and his networks especially made him much stronger than
before. There is a time when losing his tempered during meeting between his leaders and staffs.
However, it is clearly help him boost even more achievements for the company especially. It takes
more time consuming when building new strategic networking for the business. It took a lot of
patience when networking with the government agencies, corporates, and millionaires. There are
times when the company did collaborate with an influenced retail store in Malaysia, the networking
technique by building the relationship breakdown as the other side did not fully understand the
vision of the company. It makes very hard when it comes to understand the stakeholders and
partners itself. As the great persona of Dato Lawrence Teo has been an integral part of the success
of the company, he urged youth entrepreneurs to take any calculated risks to start a business. From
a study conducted, developing learning and interpersonal skills and potential the learner
confidence, while doesn’t kill creativity but allowing it to have a crucial part in the
resolution/innovation process[ CITATION Pai15 \l 1033 ]. iSYNERGY has been innovate since the day
one it establishes, possess not only a wide of younger age community or network within them, but
also implementing digitalisation faster enough to go through the market. He said that take risks at
young age is compulsory as they possess energy, fresh mindset, and aggressiveness within them.
Another recommendation from this humble person is always think positive in any difficulties occur.
He always quotes, ‘mesti ada hikmahnya’ as he is originally from a non-muslim entrepreneur. This
embarks the influence boosted within his networks, staffs, and customer as well. There is saying
‘hikmah dicipta pelbagai bangsa [ CITATION Tau17 \l 1033 ]’, as Malaysia the multiracial country.
Other than that, do not ever feel in giving up in making strategic networking. You wouldn’t know
that off all the person you meet and great, most probably the last person that you felt like giving up
will give you a stepping stone in making you as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship hasn’t had an
operational definition that everyone agrees on because it is multi-dimensional and it is affected by
many variables[ CITATION Kal12 \l 1033 ]. And with that reason, you would not know the timing of
your success until you not giving up on it. Dato Lawrence Teo added when building network with
acquaintances, put the least hope on them. It is because networking technique consume time and
need practises to make it successful. In the world of entrepreneurship, nothing beats the real-life
experience rather than the theoretical. For example, asking with softly technique with a stranger in
real life experience. Most probably, fail at the very first attempt to do it, but with much more control
on the mindset, you can make it successful one day. Perhaps more than the other millionaires
making today.

CONCLUSION

As for the summarized passage written, it can be concluded that strategic networking
techniques played an important role in making a business successful. Building relationship creating
an ease will create a success path to achieve goals. Comfort zones will just be creating a loophole of
failure in entrepreneurship. Softly asking with new network circle also contribute to networking
technique. Keep in touch with the colleagues, staffs, and networks also one of the characters
founded within networking techniques. But it is understandable that all these success techniques
will not be an easy to start-up entrepreneurs. The exist of social media presence boosted
entrepreneur to create the best first impression before handling negotiations. Lack of experience
also contribute to the barriers in building relationships with new networks. These techniques can be
overcome with the correct mindsets such as identify the calculated risks, do not give up in practising
these techniques, think positively and exploring by experience it. It takes a lot of courage to make a
business success and stable at the same time. However, bear in mind, these techniques takes a lot of
courage, commitment, and practise to make it successful.

REFERENCES

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