5 Tips for Managing Virtual Relationships

Re: 5 Tips for Managing Virtual Relationships

More and more relationships are being developed online first. It's true for professional networking, as it is for dating. People are connecting with “the right” people online before they connect offline these days. The reason for this change is the evolution of first impressions, the amount of background information available to us with a click of the mouse, and the use of the web as a people filtering device. People have less time than they did a decade ago, and are much lazier, as well as bombarded with noise, from advertising, to social feeds. We don't want to waste our own time, and we do want to meet people who have mutual interests. That's why there are Ning networks, forums, Facebook fan pages (and groups), LinkedIn groups, and other special interest communities.

Re: 5 Tips for Managing Virtual Relationships

Make sure you’re up to speed. Good hardware, software and training are the tools you need to make virtual relationships work. Structure your workday so information can be easily shared, discussed and exchanged. Don’t let the technology get in the way. If email technology isn’t working, quickly default to the phone or a letter. Remember, people do business with people─not machines. Always keep up with your networking contacts. You’ll need another set of skills when you use nontraditional means to communicate: writing must be concise and thoughts must be closely linked.