As the new president for the Greater Austin International Coach Federation Chapter, I’m making a point to get to know the ICF chapters in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth. I decided to attend the June 12th meeting of the San Antonio Chapter in part because the topic was Social Networking and the speaker was Jennifer Navarette. It is what happened before the meeting that has me buzzing.
As I read the bio, that one pesky word that grates on me popped up: guru. The local San Antonio paper dubbed Jennifer the “New Media Guru”. My first impression went from positive to immediately negative as soon as I read those words. Now, at this point, I know relatively nothing about Jennifer (who is very cool) and have a negative impression based ONLY on what I’m reading on one web entry and my own personal dislike for “guru”.
I emailed Connie, a trusted friend, to ask about the “guru”. After all, this was a 7:30am meeting which meant leaving Austin by 5:30am-ish. I definitely had skin in the game here. Would it be worth my time?
I also sent out a notice of the meeting to the local Austin coaches to see if anyone was interested in attending. Within hours, I had confirmation Jennifer was worth the trip: “good peeps” and she knows what she is talking about.
Here’s the path: interested in the presentation, read the flyer, immediately turned negative based on the “guru” quote, send digital query to a friend, got back glowing reviews. In the matter of a few hours, my first impression of Jennifer before I’d ever met her went from negative to positive. I walked into the meeting looking forward to hearing her presentation.
How does this apply to you and your business? People are connecting with others in online groups like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Naymz, etc. You and your reputation are being established by what you do and do not do in the online world. For the solopreneurs and small businesses that rely upon the web and distance communication modes to deliver your services, your reputation PRECEDES you! Being proactive in establishing your credibility and trust through a wide range of contacts is more than important – it is essential for your success.
Question:
What do you do on a consistent basis to establish and maintain your online presence?
Posted by Byron Van Arsdale
Author – 16 Secrets to a Great Conference Call
ConferenceCallTraining.com
Tags: distance communication, facebook, guru, international coach federation, jennifer navarette, linkedin, new media guru, presentation, small business, social networking, web communication
Well said,Byron. Developing a network of trusted friends online can pay big dividends. The ROI in this space is more akin to the value of PR and building good will for you and your business.
So true. Interacting online through the various social networking sites can make or break your reputation. These conversations about you or your company are happening whether you are part of the conversation or not. Of course, it could also be that folks are NOT talking about you or your business and they should be.
In this case, folks in my network were there to speak for me when I was unaware and unable to speak for myself. Glad they helped convince you to make the trek to San Antonio.
Cheers!
Byron, I haven’t met you in person yet, but hope to soon. There are lots of folks popping up claiming expertise in New Media or Social Media. Truth is, we’re all learning.
But Jennifer really is my “guru” – my teacher – in this space. I hope she can learn from me as well. We just had the pleasure of her company at a coworking session where we discussed “Your Social Media Resume” over lunch. Jennifer’s was by far the most developed of any of the attendees.
I’m curious to know what tags you’d apply to Jennifer after hearing her presentation. And what hers are for you!