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Article du mois
Article of the month

 

 

NETWORKING (2nd part):
by Jocelyn Vincent, translated by ACTMD's team

Available networking technologies
We recently saw the goal of networking as well as the networker's qualities, but a big question needs to be answered:  How do we  network?

You can develop your network in two ways:

  1. By assisting in person at the various activities
  2. By utilizing the technologies that permit us to be virtually present at these activities.

The first category is very simple and has been in existence since time began.  It consists simply in presenting yourself at various activities to introduce yourself, to exchange with others in a similar field or a complementary field to your own.  In almost every city, there exists a Chamber of Commerce.  This is an association where businessmen and businesswomen meet to exchange contacts.  Obviously, you must also be willing to exchange your contacts.  A multitude of other associations are available to that person who is in search of exchange, i.e. the Knights of Columbus, Breakfast Clubs, various associations...

In these categories, meetings often occur at breakfasts, luncheons. However you must plan to have some time in your agenda as well as fund$ to be able to go and meet these people.

This approach also assumes that you are at ease in the public.  Obviously, if you are the "shy" type, this may be difficult for you.

With the new technologies available today such as Internet, another approach is available to you.  You must be at ease with a computer and the same applies to your potential clients.  In this field, we find Facebook, Twitter, Echofon, LinkedIn, MySpace, as well as many other sites that live and die according to the seasons.  Further, more and more enterprises are now using these sites to advertise themselves.

The principal advantage of these technologies is to allow you to virtually to meet hundreds of contacts in the comfort of your own home.  Other than your computer & Internet link, there are generally no costs involved.  And, you can chat at hours that are convenient both to you and your contacts.

You could almost believe that technology is that long awaited miracle, but be very careful.  These sites can quickly become very time consuming.  It is not unusual for net workers to spend more than 20 hours per week chatting and exchanging.

The traps on these sites is to transfer from electronic net worker to electronic friend and to lose focus on what the main goal of growing your enterprise was.  Further, once  "friends", it is easy to give out personal and confidential information, which could ruin your enterprise rather than help it.  You must never forget that the Internet is a labyrinth in which it is almost impossible to erase the information, which was furnished.  A compromising photo, a message given about one of your competitors, will always be somewhere on the Internet.  There is an expression that says, "Spoken words are forgotten, but writings always stay".  That has never been truer that in this virtual world.

One must never forget that the Internet is a virtual world where illusion is king.  How do you know if your virtual friend isn't a competitor who is only waiting to trap and slam the door on you!

It is up to you now to choose between a good old handshake or technology!

 

Jocelyn Vincent is a massage therapist, hypnotherapist and
president of the ACTMD

 

 

 

 

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