Build Relationships Don't Just Add Friends!

I was adding another friend on facebook and I suddenly wondered just what I was doing it for...

I really questioned for the first time what the other person, who I had no other contact with and probably never would, would gain from having me on their friends list?

What was the point of what i was doing, would the other person ever read or watch something i did just because I was on their friends list.

My point in all this is that you cannot simply add a group of people to any list, social site or anything similar without taking time to build a relationship with them. Simply spamming them with your latest and greatest opportunity will not work.

It is all about connecting with and building relationships with people just the same as you might do in the offline world.

Just wishing a person happy birthday if you happen to see them post it will help a great deal with building personal connections, naturally don't spend your days doing that however but it takes little time when you check your social accounts.

You should also always be giving value to your contacts. Pass on an interesting training article you came across or a video you found that helped you, create your own information, its really not that hard, post inspiring quotes, share some personal happenings but get away from the sales pitch that everybody online has heard a million times before.

If you think about it would you call an old friend up you have not seen for a while and start pushing your you beaut million dollar opportunity on them without at least saying hello, I think not and for good reason.

I would hazard a guess that most of us have done that at some time or other but it really doesn't work. It would be far better to renew your friendship with that person and expose your opportunity to them over time.

The only difference in the online world is that you have far more opportunity to approach people through sheer numbers than you would offline.

If you always have that intention in mind when dealing with people you will find that you both benefit from the relationship a lot more.

Finally if your mindset is not one of how can I help this person and be of benefit to them, then you need to change it.

I know you have heard this before but it is far better to give than to receive. You are truly networking when you do this and that is of course the whole point to what we are attempting.