onlineuniversalwork

I get that about partnering with someone. I totally understand. Buying…well, depends on what I’m buying. I buy from people I’ve never met. [I'll buy books, music and clothing online.]

We are also on the same page that when someone does meet face-to-face the relationship deepens. I totally agree. I also understand that as a consultant, the face-to-face meeting is imperative. It really comes down to the goals of the meeting and personal preference, at least I think.

Here’s my take. You and I have never met. I think you’re a real smart guy, engaging, and if I were ever to do a Twitter List, you’d be on it for sure. Bottom line for me though is that I need to look you in your eyes, have a beer or cup of coffee together to get to the point that I would trust you enough to buy or partner with you.

The beauty of face2face meetings is that I can have 10 – 20 of these trust building encounters each day (I drink lots of coffee) and take my personal network to a whole other level. I’m a pretty good read of people, but admit that my confidence level goes way up when it’s a face2face encounter.

Here’s another example. If I were a hiring manager and was looking for a new employee, I might do a phone interview and even spy on their LinkedIn or Facebook account, even check a couple references. I’ll have a good gut feel after that. But, I’m not making an offer until I spend some quality time face2face – asking them questions, reading their body language, and seeing how they are able to connect in a real life situation. Face2face closes deals…virtual and social networks help open more doors.

My closing thought is that I can improve my Professional Development either virtually or physically, but if I want to bring money into my business (Business Development) the cash register rings a whole lot more face2face.

Dave Lutz – @velchain
Velvet Chainsaw Consulting

@Michelle
I wanted to capture your tweet here. It was worth adding to the discussion. “And another thing. Event organizers will be afraid until the revenue streams from SM become as easy to come by as in f2f events.” I responded with “Gd point although I don’t think the revenue streams will be as easy in F2F events any more.”

i also enjoyed the comment on linear thinking– most of our school experience is all linear in its approach to 101, 202, etc . . . folks steeped in that factory tradition are going to have a harder time adjusting perhaps.

tradition dies hard. my heart is with john henry, but my money is on the steam drill. – jl

Thanks for dropping by and adding to the discussion. Yeah, I know how you feel and you lead by example!

I guess it really is about managing our emotions as things change at rapid place. If you ever see me being backed into the corner with no where to go and I lash out, pick up the phone and let me know I’m out of line! Thanks again Michael.

Great Post! You know how I feel about this subject, so you understand I am right there with you.

Regarding the two kids texting, I wonder if Ms. Stack realizes they are just using a back channel (and more polite way) of communication. The alternative is those kids could have been chatting out loud disturbing everyone else with their comments when in fact they were just exercising their right of privacy.

I think people need to plain and simple get over the fact that people are tweeting and chatting on their smartphones during a presentation and realize that oftentimes this activity just means people are engaged and interested in what is going on around them. They are just connecting with their peers and like-minded tribe members to banter about things.

I love it… you know I passionately believe in mixing in Virtual and live components together cuz it extends the reach and depth of the conversation. Justin hit the nail ahead, when a person is afraid of something, they attack it, like an animal cornered with no where to go.

Eventually people will get on board with all this… we “early adopters” just need to keep fighting the good fight!

You are a leader in that arena Jeff, thanks for your thoughtful and passionate post!

@michaelmccurry

Personal preference is so important to the experience and learning. There is a time and place for face-to-face and virtual, and there are so many variables involved.

Educator Jane Bozarth says it best for me, “Sequential, linear thinkers tend to have a hard time following it (virtual online experiences such as chat). But you know what? 21st century information is going to be messy, and those who can deal with that messiness and the accompanying ambiguity will be ahead of the pack.”

While I may prefer things a certain way, my goal is not to let my preferences rob me of new experiences or interfere with learning. It’s about having an open mind, open arms and open hearts. And yes, it’s about the quality of the experience as you said!