On-line, people aren't sickened by my physical appearance.

posted July 29, 2008

If you are truly going to engage in an online relationship, you must treat your connections like their standing right in front of you.

The concept of "hiding behind the computer screen" is akin to putting on a false persona in "real life."

Online networking is different from in-person in a few ways, however.

First, you may never meet the person you connect with online, but you can still be helpful to that person.

Second, your ability to connect and "crowd source" with a variety of people with differing points of view is one of the greatest attributes of online networking.

I have connected with people throughout the world, met a good number of them in person, and believe my life - and theirs - are richer for it!

posted July 29, 2008

I think online you can cooperate with anyone who is willing to do business and one does not have to deal with inter-personal issues. Like or dislike the person, but also it will be harder to convince someone online. At these situations the in-person business networking is more popular.

posted July 29, 2008

On-line and on-the-ground are two different components of a comprehensive network-building strategy. Together, they are stronger than having only one component. How fortunate we have both. Ideally, we would develop the different skills to navigate in both arenas. I find people are often challenged in one of these areas.

In the end, when people are face to face, the relationship deepens in a way that cannot happen on a computer screen or a keyboard.

However, that being said, the computer screen and keyboard bring the entire world into your space. That's a difficult wow to top.

posted July 30, 2008

I think a psychologist will be better suited to answer this question, but in principle will be a correlation between all the idiosyncrasies’s of personal (in-person) and impersonal (on-line) interactions.

posted July 30, 2008

Hey Martin -

Great question!

IMHO online social networking allows us to put a technological backbone underneath the network building that we are always doing. And the added benefit is that you can then drill down into your extended networks to find exaclty the "right" kinds of relationships that allow you to position yourself for success in your endeavors.

Relationships are key here - this is not a manipulation - but rather an opportunity to meet people and build the genuine relatedness that cause things to happen.

Real world, face-to-face network building will never be replaced by electronic networking.

But the technology enables us to LEVERAGE what already works.

I write about this in my blog. You may want to peruse it.

Chip

Links:

• http://www.network2networth.blogspot.com

posted July 30, 2008

I posted this same exact question on another site two days ago! For nearly the same reason.

I believe that online networking supports business networking. People who are in my business network may also be in my online network. This allows me to connect them or support them in other ways.

In person business networking allows me to build trust, I know who I am talking to, I know what they do, and we can strategize how to support each other.

Online, I can build a database, but I really don’t know who is behind that computer screen, trust takes longer and there are few profitable relationships built here.

Both of them allow me to know more people.

Links:

• http://www.referralinstitute.com

posted July 30, 2008

In my humble opinion nothing is better than face-to-face interactions for the purposes of networking, especially with the aim of developong quality long term relationships and honestly probing common interests and goals.

I've been told that 70+% of communication is non-verbal (and certainly not web based!) and I believe it. Often I've found people to be much richer resources in very unexpected ways following an in-person meeting; this information is simply not captured via on-line exchanges no matter how hard we might try. One might make the analogy of screening a stack of resumes to find that ideal person versus basing a decsion on in-person interviews. How many of us have been pleasantly surprised (or horrified!) with a candidate following a "real-deal" meeting. The quality of information we get relative to our understanding of that person based on some written summary or electronic exchange may be light years apart.

While I advocate and practice the use of both networking methods, I use them for different purposes. Typically I use on-line networking opportunities to survey the landscape and to understand the broader perspective in an area. Once I've identified a need to drill deeper, however, the least I would recommend is calling someone via the phone, and more preferrably arrange an in-person encounter.

In short, use both, but do so with an understanding that what we find via on-line resources is quite biased and may not represent the "reality" we may seek.

Good luck with your presentation.

Mike Makowski

posted July 30, 2008

I have not found a substitute for a face-to-face meeting yet. In-person connections, atleast for me, tend to be much stronger. When we move networking totally on-line we loose something and person-to-person interactions become a volume commodity. They loose some of their value and are treated with less respect.

posted July 31, 2008

On-line networking is more convenient, in-person more effective and fulfilling. They both support and supplement the other.

posted July 31, 2008

I wonder if evolving "online" would remove many differences between online and in-person meetings like looking-in-the-eye, body language etc etc. While not precisely "networking", meetings have already began to occur this way almost entirely removing any differences between online & virtual meeting through products like Telepresence by Cisco. I should also mention that I used to work for Cisco, but am not only advertising here, but our collective research adds to this fact that evolving societal habits would reduce this perception of difference at all.

When it comes to precise "networking" I feel online is a starting point where it is easy to reach and connect. Building upon such initial contact is almost always strong when done in person, mostly as evidence of effort put in by individual to show their level of interest to network. However, I again feel, this too is only a transition phase while society evolves provided basic trust agreements between 2 people in a network are viable online, through likes of "authenticity" guarantors. We see that happening already through online consumer sales in eretail increasing over years in UK and US.

At the end, handshake, was a norm developed within society as a way of greeting and business interpretations were built into it later on. If such norms for trust and "sizing up" change with virtual means, so would the differences, although online and virtual would never replace each other completely.

posted July 31, 2008

I'd say that one can lead to the other, and if combined, they generate much better results!

posted July 31, 2008

Great question:
I believe the key concept is intellectual proximity. Intellectual proximity is a quantitative measure of the incremental social capital to be gained from two people meeting (online or in person). It is a function of networking intent, as well as the relative hierarchical level of the networkers. If there is a zero sum game (I win you lose) there is no incremental social capital. Online it is easy to calculate, for networker and networkee, if there is intellectual proximity. However at a party, in a crowded room, it is difficult to find people you share interests with. Socially we use introductions to help identify intellectual proximity, "you must meet so and so, you are in the same business." for instance.

If there was a way to identify intellectual proximity with people in your physical proximity then you have the perfect scenario. What is needed is an enabling technology to help find the people that matter to you, and meet face-to-face to build relationship. If you are interested read this patent US # 7,310,676.

Links:

• http://www.proxpro.com/socialnetworking.html
• http://www1.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week51/OG/html/1325-3/US07310676-20...

posted August 1, 2008

Hi Martin

Positives: It's very fast and international.

Challenges: It's less personal than face to face.

It is however a great way to meet professionals very quickly and build a network of contacts for mutual knowledge sharing. I'm convinced!

Best wishes

David

posted August 31, 2008

It’s a difference between face-to-face and face-less communication.

In a setting of face-to-face communication, you can read body language, facial expression, accent, and so on. You can confirm your impression with rephrased substantiation.

On the other hand, in a setting of face-less communication, you can read spelling, grammar, logic of arguments, and etc. Yet, depending on circumstance, you may not have opportunity to validate your intuition instantly. It takes time to build a trust under face-less backdrop.

Yet, any of your experience could be exaggerated and misinterpreted, since you are using your experience as a repertoire for your judgment.

Let me give you my experience. Mr. A was very warm when we established connection in LinkedIn, and invited me to answer his questions by forwarding it to my inbox. After answered his questions, he sent no acknowledgement for my answer and never forward any of further questions. Lately, he came back answered one of my questions and accused me a racist deep down in my mind.

Asking question is a way to seek knowledge. I just do not understand how can I be a racist simply because I asked one question? So, I should not open to learn from others? And, a closed mind would not be a racist?

I just don’t know how to make it, and do not have an opportunity to discuss the issue with him to clear the air (he lives in another continent). So, everything is based on what I wrote and what he wrote. It takes longer to know the person met online and to build a meaningful trust.

Nevertheless, they can definitely be complement to each other and enhance networking encounters.

posted August 31, 2008

Hi Martin,

I think in person networking has lost some appeal over the years. People do not seem to understand the art of networking in person. It seems as if most people select a known group to migrate to and remain there and if they do mingle they the most that happens is the exchange of business cards.

On line networking (in my opinion) is actually more productive. People are less inhibited and therefore feel safer to begin a dialog. Connecting here is similar to the exchange of business cards in live networking, but the follow up is often easier and more forthcoming.

It is also much easier in a setting like linkedin to get a feel for someone’s mindset before connecting. We all do this through the Q&A’s. The vast majority of my connections came as a result of what someone asked or answered and the follow up dialog we had.

Online networking also gives us a huge advantage over in person networking in that we can tap the knowledge of people around the world and meet people we would otherwise never cross paths with.

Sheilah

posted August 31, 2008

In our experience, both can be highly effective, but we've discovered two major differences:

1. Relationships tend to develop faster offline than on. There is simply a possibility for more depth and credibility, more quickly, offline, than online.

2. Offline, you can attend an event, and lurk in the corner, and eventually someone will introduce themselves. Online, if you lurk in the corner, nobody knows you are there. This means that for online networking to be effective, you HAVE to speak up. Offline, you can just show up, and you'll eventually accomplish something (though it takes longer than if you are outgoing). Online, you must actually TALK, or nobody knows you showed up!

Again, either one can be highly effective if one focuses on developing relationships, all the while, just reminding people politely of who you are and what you do.

Laura

posted September 1, 2008

There are no similarities. Face to face is always the best. Online is not better.
Just like in my travel business. Online travel purchases are full of problems. Face to face or phone to phone is the only way to buy travel.

posted September 5, 2008