It is fairly easy to connect with someone in the virtual world – it happens over the click of a button. But to turn these virtual contacts into good business relationships is a fairly tricky task.
Connecting with someone over Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn requires minimal effort – you know what the person has to offer you by viewing their profile.
But how to carry this connection forward and turn it into a good and strong business connection?
Here’s how.
- Show Them What You’ve Got
Before talking about business and asking them what they can offer you, show them what you can offer them. Talk about your capabilities keep them posted about your work with them, upload pictures so that they know you’re not just all talk. For example, send those links to your apps and send them screenshots.
- Listen Intently
Show your prospect contact that you are paying attention, read their tweets and statuses follow their work, and share it. Be cautious about not wandering into their personal space. But when they put up a status about work, like it and discuss it.
- Connect Offline
After you have been connecting with the person online on a live chat app for a while, and have shown enough interest in their work and they have reciprocated know that it’s time to move offline. People only do business with people they trust and an online portal is not even close to enough to gain that trust, so suggest meeting over coffee or lunch at a local cafe to discuss work. If the person lives in another state, country or continent connect over the phone, and when you start talking business use Skype.
- Get An Introduction
Look for common contacts; it would be great if you could find people you both know. And try to get the person to introduce you offline. It is a major leap when you know someone in common; people tend to trust others way more if they know you have someone known in common. Talk to the person about your capabilities and what you can offer and have him carry the word forward.
- Be Direct
Each individual is extremely busy nobody has the time to figure out what you want when you are busy beating around the bush. So be extremely direct of course offer them whatever you wish to but make it very clear what it is that you want from them, this will also enable them to give you a direct answer and you will know whether or not this contact is beneficial or not.
- Maintain Contact
Do not vanish into thin air when your job has been done maintain regular and cordial contact as you never know when you might need their help again, also always be willing to help in return, and do whatever you can when required.
