Remember What Mama Said When You're Networking Online (623 hits)
Hi beautiful sisters. Lately, I've become much more of an avid Twitterer. I absolutely love the community & tribal aspects of what it does - (must be some of my Anthropology background peeking through, which is funny because I barely remember the classes - LOL).
Twitter actually led me to become more interested in how I manage my other social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, some of the less popular but growing networks online.
Now, because of this, it's also causing me to take a very close look at how I socialize with others online. I think at first I was comfortable with the "free-for-all" feeling that social networking can give, but the more I am exposed to it, the more I see similarities to my in-person networking.
Let me share some tips to how I've networked successfully at in-person events so you can see how these may apply virtually. I just took good ole' fashioned lessons my mama taught me about how to interact & I'm passing them on to you:
* Treat people the way you want to be treated - when I'm at a networking event, I pay people the same respect I'd like them to give me. I'm pleasant & I act like I want to be there in the same space as the people I'm with. If I don't, I leave. Virtually: If I enter a chatroom that is not very friendly, or I'm not feeling a good vibe, I leave the chat; otherwise, I'm not there to badger people about their opinions or something they've said that I disagree with.
* Always seek to serve others - I don't immediately walk up to a person & "BAM" them with my biz card. I talk to them and get to know who THEY are first. If there is a connection we can build on, then we will share biz cards and contact info. Virtually: I appreciate when online connections make an effort to find out about me before hitting me with their offer of the week. (Gotta' give an example here - one gentleman (I'm kidding here) assumed that I was a recruiter, not a coach. No intro, no greeting - he just sent me a note the minute I joined the group & it said, "Help me find a XXX position". ??? I politely explained that I had no contacts in that arena and left the group within 24 hours.)
* Be authentic & genuine with people in a compassionate way - my conversations in person reflect who I am all the time. I never try to be someone else that I'm not with others. Virtually: this may work temporarily since you don't have any visual cues, but it won't last. The real you will stand up at some point, so just start off that way!
* Do what you say you'll do - if I commit to something, then I realize if I want my reputation to be platinum, I will meet that commitment. Virtually: same here and guess what? you can tarnish your rep much faster in a virtual world! do you know how fast people can blog you???
These are the rules of the game for me. Whatever you use out in the world, remember the same applies in a virtual world. Just like mama said, "do the right thing all the time, not just some of the time".
