The Consequences Of Being Rude Online: 5 Things Not To Do In Online Discussions

Do As I Say, Not As  I Do
One of the mantras of joining the online global community is that what you post on the internet stays there forever and forever. We all have heard this so it always amazes me when I see some of the thing that people post in various types of online communal discussions. We always make sure to let our kids know not to post pictures or comments that they wouldn’t want college admissions folks to see.   Not everyone follows that advice themselves.

There are lots of places to post your thoughts and ideas online, for this article I’m focusing on the behaviors I see in Blog comment threads and Group discussions on forums such as LinkedIn or Focus.

A Double Edged Sword

The internet creates a level field where anyone can pretty much say whatever they like. This is a good thing for the most part. It gives you a chance to exercise your right of free speech. The other side of the sword is to remember that line from the Spiderman saga:  “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Sketiquette – 5 Behaviors To Avoid on Skype

The first time I saw a video phone call was the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing, NY.

It’s come a long way since then.  Real-time video calling is completely unremarkable today. It’s just the norm. For some reason, though, we naturally tend to think of these interactions as telephone calls and not as face-to-face meetings.  If you think about it, it doesn’t  get much more F2F than staring at a screen with the other party’s face all up in your face.

I’ve noticed that sometimes we (this includes me) do things that we oddly would not do in person, but we are very comfortable doing them on a Skype or other video call.  So here are a few things to avoid.

5.   Jammies, stained sweats, strewn about hair, 2-day beards.   I’m not saying you must wear a vested suit or a prom dress, but certainly follow the same rules

The Networker’s Lament – A Doggerel on Mishandling Leads

I met her at a network group.
We chatted over onion soup.
Her business seemed to need my stuff.
Her current stuff? Not good enough.

We said we’d chat in a couple of days,
Exchanged our cards, then parted ways
I stacked her card with all the rest.
Gave it a star, ‘cause it was best.

I really planned on tweeting tweets
And setting up some real life meets.
I’d like her page and she’d like mine.
Our businesses would soon align.

When morning came, I had some tea.
I knew the task awaiting me.
My laptop squarely in my lap,
I’d enter names in my contact app.

First, I’d make a call or two,
Then out the door, with things to do.
The stack of cards just shrank away
To the far, far back of my action tray

Strong leads they were. I know I missed ‘em.
I never put them in the system.
“It’s okay” I sighed, with a droop.
“There’s always another network group.”

If you’d like to discuss setting up a process so this doesn’t keep happening to you, please reach out to me.

How Cool is BlackBird Pie?

So now you can embed a live tweet in your blog using WordPress Blackbird Pie.

Like this that i just posted on Twitter.

Embed LIVE tweets in your #Wordpress.com blog with Blackbird Pie Way cool http://ow.ly/4BFpQ

— Rick Schwartz (@RickSchwartz) April 16, 2011

Doesn’t have to be your own tweet.  It takes two seconds to do. – very cool.

Details HERE

Coffee Shop Commerce: 5 Ways To Use Hot Beverages To Grow Your Biz

It’s not uncommon to meet colleagues, customers or prospects in public venues such as coffee shops.  My observation is most people are using them strictly for scheduled short meetings with specific people – you talk, have a cup then leave.  There’s more to it if you look deeper.

HOLD COURT

Schedule at least 2 mornings or afternoons (not lunch hours) per week – when you have “computer work” to do –  and set yourself at a table.  Announce to your SOI in advance when and where you’ll be.  “I’ll be hanging out at Janie and Jackies’s Jumpin Java Joint Tuesday morning.  If you’re out and about, stop by and say Hi.”

FourSquare + Twitter: Might Be A Double Edged Sword

Social Media lovers who use both Twitter and Foursquare really need to look at the impact of cross-pollination between the two. You may be hurting your online image if you’re not doing it right.

There are basically two kinds of Foursquare users – casual and passionate.

If you are a passionate user, you most likely have your FS posts automatically posting to your Twitter and/or Facebook profiles. You need to think it through to make sure you’re accomplishing what you intend.  If you are involved in Social Media to be a part of the global online community you have to consider it what you are doing is furthering that goal or hurting it.

While your FS friends may be interested to know where you are every minute

5 Things Not To Do at Networking Meetings

There are a lot of different types of Networking meetings.  There are many formats. There are large groups, small groups, free groups, breakfast groups, evening “cocktail party” groups, event groups and others.

The thing that they all have in common is the vast majority of the folks who attend are doing so in order to grow their own network of prospective clients and referral sources. Everyone is there to meet others and increase the size of their community.  We do this by learning about the other folks at the meeting and helping them get to know us as well.

The one exception, is the paid, industry limited groups – you know, where there is a limit of one person per industry. These groups primarily exist not to help people grow their network but to exchange leads.  The following list does not necessarily apply to those groups.

The thing that I am fascinated by is the number of attendees whose behaviors are counterproductive to their own best interests.

Here is a list of 5 of them.