Posts Tagged ‘networking’
Networking and Conferences ~ a Perfect Match
FOVA (Forum on Virtual Assistance) is only 5 weeks away, and I CAN’T wait! I’m ready to learn and network and this conference is a perfect place to do both.
I think I am most anticipating all the people I know I will be meeting. Since last summer I have been very active with my online networking (primarily at VAnetworking, CVAC and VAClassroom) and I am going to meet several of these people face to face. I love connecting a face with a name or a voice!
Generally you don’t attend any conference unless you have an interest in the topic and there are always many sessions available to learn new skills, ideas or trends and more. The agenda that Barb Lang and her organizers have prepared is chock full of great topics and speakers from all over the world, and topics that will help us Virtual Assistants in our daily work. However, in my humble opinion, the biggest benefit you get from a conference is the networking aspect of it.
So many opportunities are available at conferences to meet and talk with new people, to match a face to a name, or connect with old friends. Being virtual, a large part of our daily work is done online and by phone, Instant Messenging chat or email. To be able to meet in person all the “usernames” I deal with on a regular basis, really adds another foundation block to our relationship.
I almost feel like I need to make a list of all the people I anticipate meeting in order to ensure that I don’t miss them as to me that would be a tragedy.
No matter what your line of work, and especially if you work from home, I urge you to find a conference in your industry and attend it every year. You’ll return rejuvenated and having met many new contacts and with a brain full of new information relevant to your work. ALL of this will help you excel in your job and your life.
5 Benefits of using Twitter for Business
Twitter. It’s been in the news a lot lately. The growth of Twitter, a micro-blogging social networking site, is amazing. Some reports suggest more than 10 million users are now signed on to Twitter and the majority of them are 35 years and over.
Many ask, how can something like Twitter help my business? If used properly, and this means by providing a good mix of posts and updates, Twitter can help a business accomplish the following: Read the rest of this entry »
Testimonials… great to give & receive
This post was inspired by an action taken by a colleague of mine. We have been working together for 6 months now and out of the blue the other day she sent me an email with a little testimonial for me! It was a nice surprise and very flattering that she took the time to write it down and send it off.
Testimonials are something many businesses use, especially ones on the internet, and they can be very helpful additions to your website content. Potential clients can see what others have to say about you and how you work with, and for, others. It also allows to link back and forth to each other, which is great when you have a website! It’s like a direct referral system.
Linked In uses recommendations, and even prompts you to “return the favour” by sending one back to the other person. This is great, except the process never gets started unless one party takes the time to send a testimonial or one party “asks” for a testimonial.
That’s the part about testimonials that gets awkward, the need to ask. It is for that reason that people should take time to send testimonials without having been asked. Really, it follows the same principals outlined in a post here about Comment Cards, which in a nutshell is: Take the time to say “Good Job” to someone. The hard part isn’t writing it down, it is remembering to do so and send it off!
Online Networking adds value in many ways
Networking is something I truly enjoy, whether in person or online. I have been doing a lot of online networking, through Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and a few of the online communities I belong to as well: VAclassroom, VAnetworking and CVAC.
I have been learning how valuable these online connections can be by some of my recent in-person experiences. The latest was today at a local networking event I attend, DartNet.
There was a fellow at the other end of the table and I couldn’t place a name to his face, but I recognized him from somewhere. Finally, I saw his name on the sign in sheet and looked over at him and said “That’s where I know you from, the PodCamp.”
He nodded and said, ” Yes, I know your face too, from Twitter.” 
Read the rest of this entry »
Don't Burn your Bridges
“Don’t burn your bridges” is a very old saying, but also a wise one. Taken literally, it means If you cross a river by way of a wooden bridge and then proceed to set fire to the bridge, burning and destroying it. What will you do if you find yourself needing to turn around and cross that river again?
Applying this to life, means you should never make it impossible to revisit someone or something in the future because you may never know when you will need to.
I’ve been reminded of this several times this past week with a few situations that others experienced. One friend had encountered a difficult situation and needed to vent. Venting on a blog or other social networking venue that you use for business is not the way to do so. Call a friend, write it down and then shred the paper, let it out, then move on and deal with it. Bringing your rant to your social network or other public circles, is not the way to go.
Someone else I know is a firm believer in never burning your bridges, and he has changed companies several times. Not once has he burned a bridge and more often than not he runs into someone, because they have good memories of their experiences together and it helps him going forward. This week a chance run in with a former boss, may have helped out the situation he and others were in – giving them a bit of an edge.
Wouldn’t you rather have an edge than a feeling of “What will I do now?”
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