I have personally used social media since 1999. It all started when a colleague introduced me to the concept. As I transitioned from a corporate career to stay at home mom, I began to use Plaxo while it was in beta mode. I thought it would be a great idea to build relationships with this forum as I started the groundwork for WBIS, Women Building & Investing in Success. My vision is to create a POWERFUL global virtual network of women business owners and stay connected to them until we met in person at a scheduled luncheon or Networ’th’ing event. I used to watch the Jetson’s and really liked the way Judy stayed in touch with people at the touch of a button.  I also used the Plaxo platform to learn about people and then their business endeavors. As an avid marketer, I fell in love with the demographic and psychographic information obtained using social media toolsJ.  The idea of using Plaxo, LinkedIn    

 and other platforms were going to be my ticket to success. I tested many other platforms and decided I could only handle a few consistently, while taking care of home.

 

I’m extremely comfortable on the internet. My personal email address is very unique and when people hear it, their question is, “How did you get that address?” As the internet has progressed from cable to wireless, I used various communication skills with Verizon to keep the address in tact.  I did not have much time for 1 to 1’s and coffee conversations while raising 2 toddlers and figuring out how to implement social media into WBIS- on a solo-preneurs budget. I contacted several women who I thought would be ideal clients for WBIS. We began to develop email relationships. At the time, response, commitment and results were more valuable than using classified ads or cold calls that I also used to initiate relationships. The email relationships became my mechanism to learn more about the person who I would eventually meet and decipher whether or not the person was a “good fit.”  In May of 2008, at a WBIS Networ’th’ing Night Event,  it was amazing to see the many ‘email relationships’

I cultivated over time. I probably knew about ¼ of the room on a more personal/professional level. As I spoke with each person individually, it was great to know something about their business during the conversation.   As a marketing professional, what a GREAT metric used, confirming that Social Media will be one of the ‘unique’ qualities differentiating WBIS from other women’s business networking groups.

 

Over the course of a year I’ve been spending time further developing my preferred social media platforms, Plaxo, Linked In, Twitter, and FB .  Of course I shared the ‘secret’ with the WBIS network in hopes they would come on board quickly. Many have experienced GREAT strides in their business.  I understand many business owners use social media platforms to increase ‘lead generation.’ My approach to using social media allows to me really learn about the person to gain a level of trust. I establish a ‘best practices rule‘ to receive permission to send updates while developing meaningful dialogue. If a person puts me in their sales queue…we do not have a genuine relationship and I unsubscribe to their list. Constant Contact is another GREAT marketing tool to use for your business success.    I’ve learned to leverage my time and build ‘true’ quality relationships.   Many of the mentors I currently look to and value are a result of   connecting with them via social media platforms.  

 

The social media craze has EVERYONE excited and on board with potential results for their business. I thoroughly enjoy learning about business women, finding speakers and initiating potential relationships before I actually meet someone. The official ‘handshake’ is a nice gesture…I easily gravitate to hug modeJ. I can usually determine the communication style needed before meeting the person. I am careful…There have been instances where my emotion was a little more than the person expected or could ‘read’ when we met in person. They looked at me with a ‘cautious stature’. After the personal conversations are over, we usually end up in ‘hug mode’ anyway. After all, I’m not Judy Jetson.

 

The boys are older now and I’m physically networking utilizing traditional business circles for Centreville Medical Arts Pharmacy. I’m extremely comfortable walking into a room and not feeling like a stranger. I hear many stories from business owners who walk into networking events and it takes a while to warm up before they meet someone. For an introvert who may feel’ attacked’ when a person addresses them too soon, can be overwhelming as well. A Networking Tip for your business: I find it helpful to learn about the culture of a group before attending their meetings. Time and time again over the past few months, the quality of my 1 to 1 meetings has increased. The person and I have a much better understanding of each other and how we may be able to help leverage alliances. Referrals are the best source of business and the process of relationship building is quite essential. Try something for the next 30 days. As you begin to actively implement social media into your business relationships, track the quality of the meeting and the information you received from the potential client.  Did you experience a warm comfort level before the first initial meeting at the Starbucks? Did the results of your email introduction, produce value? Evaluate the results compared to how you have traditionally developed relationships and let us know if there was a difference. We would love to hear your feedback.

 

 

A few months ago, I attended chamber training  and immediately began the formal introduction with the trainer, by commenting, “YOU must be Jonathan Arehart” He connects with me eye to eye and responds, “Well, that depends…I know you from somewhere.” My response, “This is the first networking event I’ve attended in 2 years…we must be Facebook Friends.”

He smiles and responds, "That’s right…that’s exactly how I know of you." After the training, our conversation led to a professional relationship. To this day, I’m extremely comfortable using his services and referring his company to other business owners. Actually, this custom Blog is based from his company's ‘mymediaroom’ concept. I attended another event the following week. The person I was to be introduced to by a colleague says, ‘Are you as amazing as your colleague thinks of you and highly recommended I speak to you?’ My response: “ABSOULTELY. Hello, I’m Sheila Dixon of Centreville Medical Arts Pharmacy.” After this event, I spoke briefly with the leader and we have been cultivating a professional relationship via FaceBook.  This relationship will take a little more time to develop and that is o.k.  

 

I do not know if being classified as a gen X,Y or XY truly makes a difference in cultivating relationships nowadays.  With everyone learning about social media technologies and figuring out if it’s best for their business or just for fun, the playing field is being leveled. Of course understanding the various communication styles and implementing some time tested methods of addressing the person is helpful. If you are curious about a person and may want to work with them, your senses will alert you in evaluating whether or not it’s a good fit for your business success.  For me, the bottom line remains the same. Did the company solve a need with the quality, respect and results I expected?

 

I must admit…Social media can definitely consume your time. Following are few actions you may want to consider:

 

1. Dedicate the amount of time you will spend communicating with others

2. Define how you are going to use social media for your business

3. Decide which platforms best fit your business

4. Be careful not to divulge too much about your personal self

5. MOST IMPORTANTLY…HAVE FUN and show a person your authentic identity.

 

In summary, social media is my preferred method of learning about a person before I actually meet them. The process provides a comfort level and helps me better gage whether the person is authentic in their intent to develop a professional or personal relationship. My goal is to ensure that I’m utilizing my valuable time effectively while growing Centreville Medical Arts Pharmacy and WBIS. The mission and vision are defined…the action steps continue.

 

I hope by reading this article, you will have a better comfort level about leveraging today’s social technology for your business. Each day there are more tools to try and methods to evaluate. As every good business owner finds new ways to leverage marketing dollars, keep your eye on the new trends, testing and measuring your bottom line results. If you are a woman owned business actively establishing business relationships, attend an upcoming WBIS Success Luncheon. WBIS Members have the advantage of our upcoming monthly social media hotline, helping them to navigate the future of this viable marketing tool. We take membership a step further and will set up social media profiles for your business if they are not completed and you would rather be cultivating existing relationships.  Our members are investing in success to develop quality results for their life and business.

 

If you have any questions about social media or would like to share a social media strategy for your business, post your question or comment below and we look forward to connecting with you in personJ.

 

Take Care,

Sheila