Sometimes we all wonder what all our social media activity will lead to, if anyone see’s what we post, if anyone is really following, and how can we realistically improve relationships this way. As some of you know, I believe that networking has got to be part of a professional’s social strategy, regardless of what kind of position they hold. Yet, how do we know its value? I was reminded last week.
I attended the Financial Managers Association of New Hampshire (FMA) event to see a speaker discuss the importance of customer relationship. I did not now many people in this network (it’s amazing how many people I don’t know). I grabbed my dinner, sat down, and a gentleman walked up to the table and said with enthusiasm “Hi Russ, how are you, how’s things”? At first I thought I had just forgotten his name, but as he continued to engage me, I started to think he had me mixed up with someone else. I politely said “I’m sorry, how have we met”. He went on to tell me that he had been to my office, that we had met through a mutual friend. I was panicked, first thinking that I was having a senior moment (at 49), then I started putting it together.
You see, we had never met physically. He was referred to me through another associate, we linked-In, and then had a half hour conversation over the phone. We had met, but not in the traditional sense. We had started a relationship through social media. We both laughed, and started to share with each other the emails, posts, and issues we discussed. We knew each other as well as some other professionals we have actually met in person. We both got the affirmation in this.
I don’t think of myself as a power user of social media, but I love to connect and share ideas with people from as far away as China who I have never met, and professional associates who I am still building a relationship with. There is both pleasure and value, once we put our mind to it. As a professional, we should all have a social strategy of some kind, a way of reaching into the world to find more meaningful social connections. Regardless if our interaction is casual (like responding to a post), or formal (like following up with a phone call) we may eventually meet. If the point is to create network links, social media is a must.
I also think that the current tools we are using are mere prototypes of what we will see developing in the coming decade. But while social interaction tool evolve, there is value in using them right now. I just sent my new friend an email to grab coffee.