I received the email above from LinkedIn and it reminded me of great friends from Emory’s Exec. MBA program several (OK – thanks to the LinkedIn reminder – 11 years ago).  Beyond their names that I have in my address book, their faces reinforce that social is highly personal and social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) are simply an enabler of that personal interaction.  I’m amazed every single day with people who confuse the two.  They abdicate their interpersonal interactions (the essence of any relationship) to status updates, connections, followers, fans, and “likes.”  Email and social is one-dimensional; phone conversations are two dimensional because I can gauge your tonality; in-person is three dimensional and nothing will ever replace that interpersonal interactions.

Bottom line – pick up the phone and call a business relationship you haven’t in some time just to say hello and ask how they’re doing!  If you find a way to become an asset, amazing how often they’ll reciprocate!

Did you know that most people make up their first impression of someone in the first 7-10 seconds of interacting with them?  The amazing aspect is that the other person doesn’t even have to say anything!  It has a great deal to do with how they look, how they carry themselves, and the context of the interaction – whether they were on time, who they were with, how they arrived, etc.

More importantly, once an initial interaction has been established, sociologists tell us that we give a little, they take, they judge, they give a little, we take, we judge, and we give a little more back.  This exchange continues for some time and the more comfortable we feel in that interaction, the more we tend to get beyond a facade and share pertinent or particularly valuable information.  As such, most people cement their initial impression in the first 10 minutes of the interaction.  Most people have two opportunities from that initial interaction – they’ll either enhance their perceived credibility or dilute it.  In what they say, what they do, how they behave, the value-add they bring to the table, and the caliber of the questions they ask! Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been thinking a lot about why some relationships work consistently over time and why others simply falter or fade?  Why do we prioritize working with or investing in some people more than others over a period of time?  Why do we refer or introduce some of our relationships to others more often?
Read the rest of this entry »

Exclusively for RENetworks Members…

Heading towards the top of our pyramid are the go-to people in your portfolio of relationships. They are subject matter, geographic, or functional experts. Your interactions are frequent and your relationship is very collaborative. The relationship is one of equal stature and perceived value-add. If value is diminished…

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Interested in learning more? Be sure to take advantage of the additional resources Relationship Economics has to offer:

• Sign up for the Relationship Economics Monthly Newsletter and receive poignant, practical and insightful advice regarding business relationships and social networking best practices.
• Attend the next Relationship Economics @ Work Webinar series and learn ways your company can experience unprecedented growth!
• Text ‘RETip’ to 90210 and receive real-time business relationship insight and tips. Opt-out at anytime.
• Join the Relationship Economics Group on LinkedIn and join in on the conversation.
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Exclusively for RENetworks Members…

Moving up our pyramid we have Investment Relationships. Your interaction is regular, your relationship cooperative. Members of this group are a lot like you. Found in this category are those individuals with which you have a high degree of behavioral and psychological profile similarities. Take the time to get to know them better, collaborate more frequently, and develop a closer relationship. The tactics and the ethics of your relationship with this category are…

Sign Up on RENetworks to learn more, get this and other weekly Relationship Economics Tip of the Week, get notified of our upcoming webinars, and get access to other resources like articles and white papers.

To learn more about how to become a member, click on the logo below:

Interested in learning more? Be sure to take advantage of the additional resources Relationship Economics has to offer:

• Sign up for the Relationship Economics Monthly Newsletter and receive poignant, practical and insightful advice regarding business relationships and social networking best practices.
• Attend the next Relationship Economics @ Work Webinar series and learn ways your company can experience unprecedented growth!
• Text ‘RETip’ to 90210 and receive real-time business relationship insight and tips. Opt-out at anytime.
• Join the Relationship Economics Group on LinkedIn and join in on the conversation.
• Follow me on Twitter.

Exclusively for RENetworks Members…

The depth and relevancy of your current relationships are critical for your success. Picture a pyramid with four layers. At the base of the pyramid we have Situation Relationships. Above that is Investment, followed by Portfolio. At the top of the pyramid we will call it 2 AM’s.

Situation

First let’s examine the most extensive part of our pyramid found at the base. Your interaction with these people is occasional, your relationship very friendly and collegial. You interact with them because you need to for a particular project, or…

Sign Up on RENetworks to learn more, get this and other weekly Relationship Economics Tip of the Week, get notified of our upcoming webinars, and get access to other resources like articles and white papers.

To learn more about how to become a member, click on the logo below:

Interested in learning more? Be sure to take advantage of the additional resources Relationship Economics has to offer:

• Sign up for the Relationship Economics Monthly Newsletter and receive poignant, practical and insightful advice regarding business relationships and social networking best practices.
• Attend the next Relationship Economics @ Work Webinar series and learn ways your company can experience unprecedented growth!
• Text ‘RETip’ to 90210 and receive real-time business relationship insight and tips. Opt-out at anytime.
• Join the Relationship Economics Group on LinkedIn and join in on the conversation.
• Follow me on Twitter.