By: Judy Austin
Can one really develop professional relationships online? For many outside the internet generation, this will seem quite odd and impossible, but to the generation of iPods and Starbucks this is life as usual.
Mirroring the explosion in utilization of online dating, chat rooms and blogging to forge personal relationships, today’s professionals are just beginning to harness the power of online technologies to develop professional relationships. Online networking resources have emerged to enable busy people to pursue new connections on their own schedules and outside the confines of a traditional networking event or group.
For today’s busy professional time is our most precious resource. Integrating online networking into your overall strategy is critical to a balanced approach. There are several avenues to develop relationships online, which we shall mention. Never forget that in order to forge a true relationship and foster trust, you must transfer an online connection into an offline world relationship. Relationships form through a mutual sentiment of like and trust. The same rules apply of cultivating relationship through ongoing interactions.
Here are some proven methods to developing networking skills, relationships and trust in an online environment.
1. ENGAGE: Join an online networking community. There are a few online networking resources that have emerged in the past few years to enable professionals to utilize the web to build new relationships.
ConeXus - National service allowing professionals to search & connect with peers across the US. conexusonline.com Linkedin.com – Building one’s network by linking to the network of others. Linkedin.com Ecademy - A global community of networking resources. Ecademy.com Ryze -helps people make connections and grow their networks. Ryze.com
Most resources offer a free trial period, I recommend you test the waters by joining one initially and determine if that resource suits your needs and offers a positive return on your investment.
Regardless of which tool you choose the key is to actively engage yourself by pursuing new relationships and utilizing the resources at your disposal. Simply joining and having a profile is not enough. Invest the time and energy to make a sincere effort to connect with new people and develop relationships. This will be a new concept to some; others of you will realize quickly that you can develop real and valuable relationships with others in cyber space.
2. COMMUNICATE: Create an e-mail newsletter. First organize your contacts by creating an e-mail database of clients, customers and friends. Send content on a regular basis (I recommend starting with a monthly cycle) which offers insight about your industry, emerging trends, problems you have helped clients solve and other information that would be of interest to the reader. Keep articles succinct and relevant. Try profiling clients and offering tips, advice and ideas. The intent of the newsletter is to expand awareness and direct readers to your website. Ask and encourage clients, partners and even prospects to contribute to your content. A simple gesture offers a powerful opportunity to build stronger relationships and generates positive exposure for your best advocates. I recommend you either use an email service or at the minimum develop a customized and professional looking template to use for all your newsletters. Remember your newsletter is a reflection of you and your company’s image.
3. BLOG: Start blogging or writing for a website or e-newsletter. We all possess expertise or information within a certain arena related to our industry, hobbies, volunteer involvement etc. Begin building your personal “online brand” by sharing your thoughts, ideas, opinions and information with others. Start a blog of your own within one of the larger blogger sites or online communities. As people read your content and learn from your comments they will glean insight into you as a person. Reading another’s thoughts engenders a sense of “knowing you” which is integral to the networking process. Try to post a minimum of 3 times per week and more as you become comfortable.
Demonstrating knowledge in an area, willingness to share and writing regularly about it will truly help create a brand and offer a forum to build relationships with others who share similar interests or seek knowledge. Keep your comments professional and try to convey your interest in helping others. Respond to others' postings and share an opinion. Posting on relevant bulletin boards is a great way to gain visibility, which creates credibility and eventually new relationship opportunities. The more you're seen, read, interacted with and talked about; the more visibility you'll gain within any given online community. Carefully select which online blogs or chat rooms to join and keep the number small, otherwise you won’t have time to be effective.
4. TRUST: Maintain online integrity. Even when making professional connections online, the same rules apply. You must focus on cultivating sincere and honest relationships with others. This is the only avenue to foster a sense of mutual trust and a reciprocal liking. People do business with those they like and trust. Even online you can begin to build this foundation by being honest and sincere in who you are, what you write and how you respect others.
Although technology streamlines and accelerates the capacity to establish new connections, in order to transform an online connection into a real relationship one must ultimately find time and opportunity to engage others thru multiple mediums and ideally strive to meet in person. Email, phone conversations, handwritten notes and in person meetings should be integrated as you build a stronger relationship. Nothing will ever replace the live human interaction.
Slowly seek to progress the relationship thru these additional contact outlets which enable you to portray a more 3D view of yourself. Once you've established that foundation of trust, you'll start feeling more comfortable referring your contacts and vice versa. Remember that writing inherently possesses many limitations on communicating who you are as a person. The person on the other end someone cannot look you in the eyes, hear inflections in your tone or watch your body language, so expect that trust may develop slower solely thru online communication. Prepare for misunderstandings to occur and deal with them appropriately.
5. INTEGRATE: Online rules are unique. With the protection of a keyboard, people online often behave differently than in person. Introverts can be much less inhibited and others exaggerate their abilities and influence. People are often very short and concise in their statements, different from how they may speak. This is not intended to be rude, but simply the standard operating procedure for online communication. With online networking, experience shows that people feel at ease being direct; short, sweet and to the point. Very often coming across as aggressive and biting. Most importantly people are often more bold and blunt online since they don’t have to interact in person or deal with a live reaction. They will ask for and say things that in the offline world one would likely never address towards a total stranger. You will learn simply by doing and making mistakes. When in doubt, ask someone to clarify a statement that you are unsure of or may misinterpret.
Be cautious and careful with sharing personal information. Approach every contact with healthy skepticism and remember there are evil people out there in cyber space, masquerading as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Progress a relationship slowly and be cautious of those who are demanding, asking inappropriate questions or persistent for obtaining personal information. Invest time upfront and only share when you feel comfortable.
Harnessing technology to build relationships is a powerful resource that every professional must utilize to enhance their network. Now you can engage in true networking opportunities from the comfort of your couch 24 hours a day. Utilize online networking to complement your current tactics and a streamlined avenue to pursue relationships locally or across the globe. Start with one method and be diligent your efforts.
