I just sat in on the first Twebinar thanks to Chris Brogan, Marcel LeBrun and many others at Cross Tech Media and Radian 6. What a GREAT first-time experience combining a webinar with the power of twitter to broaden the conversation. In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what stood out most for me.

• People are using social networks to find pockets of opportunities.
• Social networks/social media are changing search engine results, often highlighting obscure or sometimes less than ideal information above the fold. Companies must pay attention.
• Customers are having the conversations online about your company, your product, your industry, etc.
• Mom bloggers have power and LOTS of influence on the buying decisions, not just for their households.
• Businesses are seeing negative comments go down because they are listening.
• Companies doing social media/social networks well are doing so because they aren’t taking themselves so seriously. Loosen up corporate America.
• Loosening up melts resistance.
• Associations (non-profits, chambers and ministries/churches) have great opportunities to build community via social networks.
• Every business/organization needs to reach out to younger generations to continue in the future. Social media/social networks provides that platform.
• Use social networks/community to let your customers help you build your next product/service. They’re already your fans.
• Use social media/social networks to give people what they need to tell your story!
• Companies/organizations interested in controlling the convesation are not well suited for social networks.
• Pushing your marketing message is not well suited for social networks. It is far better to enable conversations (and let others lead the conversation/tell your story).
• We now live in three worlds: the physical, digital and virtual. (I would add spiritual to the list, but that’s a whole other post.)
• People have three lives: professional, personal and private (the part not on social networks).

There was so much information. Now I must digest it all. It’ll be interesting how the conversations that began in today’s session will continue on Twitter in both formal and informal ways, as well as in other conversations about marketing, business and life.

I apologize for not including names/companies/links for speakers. The twebinar went so quickly, I only had time to take notes. See the sidebar of Twebinar page for more information about speakers. Can’t wait ’til the next one! Good job guys.

What about you? Were you one of the 500 to get in the first one? What was your takeaway? What am I missing from the list?

For the last few years, on the evening of the BB&T Virginia 10-Miler, Schmitty and I have attended a beer tasting party/cookout hosted by some friends of mine. The second year, Schmitty (an Introvert) asked me for some tips on how to start a conversation with someone he’s never met before. I encouraged him to have fun and then gave him some questions to ask, similar to the ones below. (I’m also including “10 Conversation Starters for Business Events” and “2 Questions to Avoid and Why.”)

7 Easy to Ask Questions for Social Events

1. How do you like the band/beer/play (fill in the blank) so far?
2. How do you know the hosts? (This tells me about connections and helps me find possible similarities.)
3. What do you do when you’re not at cookouts? (work/family/hobbies)
4. What do you do for a living? or Do you work outside the home?
5. What do you do for fun?
6. How did you end up in Lynchburg?
7. How did you two meet (if you’re talking to a couple)?

10 Conversation Starters for Business Events

1. What does your company do?
2. What’s the best part of working there?
3. What’s the biggest challenge your industry is facing right now? Or What is the most difficult aspect of your job? (I’m uncovering how I can help or whether or not I know someone who can.)
4. What do you do for your company? (What is this person’s area of expertise? If I know others with the same job experience, I may be able to connect them. Or - this person does what Jamal does. Now I get it. Or, Lester’s looking to hire someone with this experience. Might she be interested in making a change?)
5. What do you love about your job? (This could uncover personal motivation and possibly, company culture.)
6. What’s been the best thing that’s happened at work in the last year? (Again, personal motivation among other things)
7. What does it take for someone to be successful at what you do?
8. What tools do you need/use to do your job? (Is there a way I can learn from their efficiencies or point to a better solution? Who do I know that can offer those products/services to this person?)
9. What does your ideal client/customer look like? (Do I know someone or several someones this person just described? Can I help facilitate a connection?)
10. Who do you need to meet/what do you need to help you take your business to the next level?

2 Questions to Avoid and Why

1. Do you have any children? (if Kai is struggling with infertility or has recently lost a child, this is a very difficult question for her. Most parents naturally divulge the children information at some point in a conversation.)
2. Are you married? Unless you want to ask this person out, steer clear of this one. If Bence is going through a divorce, he may not be ready to go into an explanation. You may not be ready to get an ear full.

Here’s the Thing

Schmitty didn’t meet every person at the cookout. That’s not his style and he’s comfortable with that. He did, however, make the effort to meet a few new people, while still maintaining some quiet space of his own at times, sitting in his camp chair or playing with the kids, or people watching. At the end of the night, Schmitty said he really had a good time. You can too!

What questions do you use when meeting new people?
What questions do you avoid and why?
How has your business benefitted from your use of good questions and what were/are they?

Note: This post is the second of a two parts on “Networking (in person) for Introverts.” To read the first part, click here.

While driving home from a recent lunch meeting, a weird thought popped into my mind. What would Jesus tweet? (Maybe you’re familiar with the whole WWJD craze, which admittedly, has been quite cheezy at times. Catchy though.)

Let me say right off the bat with the disclosure that I’m not a theologian. I don’t pretend to fully understand the many great mysteries of the gospel. As Paul said, “I see through a glass dimly.” This post is meant to be fun and engage people in conversation.

By way of background and according to their website, Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick (140 characters or less), frequent answers (tweets) to one simple question: What are you doing?

People use Twitter for far more than answering that one question. Twitter has become an online gathering place. According to Tech Crunch, as of March 2008 Twitter had more than 1 million users who produce more than 3 million tweets a day.

Those numbers are growing rapidly.

Perhaps before I ask “What would Jesus tweet?” I need to first ask the question, “Would Jesus even tweet at all?” After all, Jesus’ lengthy “Sermon on the Mount” couldn’t be summed up in 140 characters. Jesus engaged in real conversations and in-depth teaching.

Sermon length aside, suppose Jesus would be an early adapter and therefore, would sign up for a Twitter account in the first place. After all, Jesus often related to people in ways that differed from the expectations of those in the mainstream. And He had followers. Lots of them. How would Jesus have used Twitter?

Clearly define purpose/mission:
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
I am the Good Shepherd.
I am the Gate.
I am the Bread of Life.
I am the Vine.

Additionally, Jesus was pretty good at cutting to the chase. He challenged and encouraged his followers then, as now:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-38)
• Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. (Matt. 20:26-27)
• With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Matt. 19:26
• Your sins are forgiven. (Mark 2:5)
• You give them something to eat. (Mark 6:37)
• But who do you say that I am? (Mark 8:29)
• With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27)
• Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out. (Luke 5:31)
• Which is easier to say? Your sins are forgiven or rise up and walk? (Luke 5:23)
• Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)
• Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. (Luke 7:47)
• I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
• A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34)

What do you think? Would Jesus use Twitter? Why or why not? And if so, what would He Tweet? How can you follow His example to communicate clearly, in ways that make an impact in your business? In your life? In the lives of others?