by CHICKMELIONfreelance
Like several million other business people I have and hold an existence on several social sites, Face book being one of them. I was encouraged repetitively and quite convincingly by savvy marketers pimping social networking as a viable means of doing business successfully online. They hammered it into my head via webinars, emails and articles. So I eventually went with the flow down stream with millions of other businesses creating an entity in an ocean of bits and bites.
I have a problem now, my smorgasbord of virtual life has taken on an entity and persona of it’s own, overpowering me at times and certainly thinking it can consume a large portion of my rare time and attention. It is my own fault though, I allowed the monster to grow on it’s own without pulling back on the reigns earlier than this. Wooed by multiple “friend” requests from fellow marketers, I allowed my list to grow and grow rapidly. I however don’t know a majority of these people and if given an exam regarding their livelihoods ... I would direly and embarrassingly fail.
Not from my attempts to try to familiarize myself with them. But some re-occurring and annoying scenarios keep popping up. It seems the fine art of networking is for the most part a lost and rare concept. It seems accepting a “friendship” solicitation has opened me up to spam notes in my mail box more than anything else. It has gotten to a point that I don’t even read them any more. I just don’t have the time nor interest. Why? Because these solopreneurs had never even made the effort to familiarize themselves with me, nor attempted to help me become familiar with who they were. This whole attitude flies in the face of the realities of social network marketing. Where the consumer, (you and I included,) flows to this type of forum to be recognized NOT ignored. Such business behavior is counter productive to the medium they are utilizing. I myself am annoyed by this mailbox spamming practice and I know I am not the only one! Time to do some spring cleaning!
I recognize that I need to define my purpose for being on this site first and foremost. I need to look at my goals as a business entity and as an individual, because I am not about to compromise and lose who I am in this flood of people with their never ending wants and needs. This is a personal choice and it may not be something you the reader agree with, but I am not really here to make sales. I am here to network! I recognize that I have this wealth of global “Chamber of Commerce” like potential right in front of me and I want to tap into it...yeah...meet and greet, that’s my goal. And in this meeting and greeting, I want to see if I can arrange some cross promotional handshakes and yes even gain a business friend or two! (Hey we all need our moments in the day to lighten up and just be people.) I know I appreciate everyone on my page who recognizes the same thing and pops in just for the sake of saying hi! To let you in on a secret, I am far more willing to want to bend over backwards for people like these when they have a need for something I can help with.
After defining my purpose and goals, it is time to re-organize my list of contacts. I recognize three very clear sub-sets of personas that I can divide my friend list into. I have my dear friends and I certainly don't want to lose them in the crowd. God knows there are days that these are the only people that stand in the way of me pulling my hair out.
I have also had the privilege of meet people who are willing to network with me and I really need to set up a separate specialty list for these very important people. Because networking is all about fostering and nurturing relationships, I need to get to know these people better. Be intimate with their products and services and allow them to come to know me. Build trust and a “team like” spirit of comradery. Not only does this foster the ability to gain valuable word of mouth for both of us , but it also builds the arena necessary to understand each other and their needs well enough to put our heads together for cross promotional purposes.
I will go through my list of friends (and yes my spam mail as well) and look for more potential prospects for networking as well. I will be looking for those who are not in direct competition with me but can compliment my mix with products and services. I will be very open and direct with these people regarding my intents because I have already learned the value of cutting off the fat and keeping activities lean. If they are not willing to play, I’m taking my ball and playing elsewhere.
Better yet, I’m taking their name and putting it on the third list I have planned. I will call it my “society list”. Yes it is all the other people I co-habitate with and as in life I will smile as we pass and be friendly when they approach. I will keep them for two reasons. Firstly I respect their choice to be on my page. That means something to me and I am not going to turn my backs on that. Secondly... hey I’m a marketer! I recognize that this affords me increased visibility among business and peers and who knows what the future holds. They may well become friends or networkers of like mind in the future.
I feel better now that I am organized. I am ashamed I allowed things to roll so much out of control. Since I have whipped the monster back into a more productive pace, I can feel better about opening my mailbox, having now options and clearly defined motivations on how to deal with the individuals vying for my attention. Being more efficient with my short supply of time has allowed me a little extra moments to finding the time to smile and pass a few extra jokes towards my friends whom I do appreciate. Heck I can even find them faster now! Got to love spring cleaning. It gives such a renewed sense of control and vitality. And hey, just before i go... you can join me on Facebook if you want...(wink!)
