Building Relationships Online, Part 2
Last week I wrote about building relationships online as the main article for my newsletter. I have to tell you about how a relationship from about 6 years ago has manifested itself again in my life. In 2000, Vickie Sullivan, the premier consultant to call when you want to grow your speaking business, contacted and interviewed me for her print newsletter about the virtual assistant side of my business (you can read the article here). I no longer remember how Vickie heard about me for the interview, but we connected once again in 2001 or 2002 when a client of mine was doing some work with her, and I haven’t been in contact with her since that time.
About 2 weeks ago, I got a call from Jan King, who’s the Founder and Editorial Director of eWomen Publishing Network. Jan was interested in having me speak at their upcoming conference on the topic of virtual assistants and how authors can find and use a VA to help them with all the marketing tasks involved in promoting their books. I told Jan that I’m also an online business coach, and have changed the focus of the VA side of my business to internet marketing. Jan was thrilled to hear that and thought there might be 2 panels on which I should speak at the conference.
Long story short, I will be headed to the conference in Dallas in mid-July as a guest speaker on two marketing-related panels. Woohoo!
When I asked Jan how she heard about me (a question EVERY good business owner asks <g>), she told me that Vickie (who’s keynoting the conference) had recommended me. I dropped a thank-you email to Vickie, which enabled us to reconnect again and will hopefully be profitable for us both..:)
I am constantly amazed at how the online world enables people to connect and decide to do business together, without ever having met. I’ve been thinking about joining the local chamber of commerce, but am really questioning that thought, as I know that "my people" are probably best found online, rather than locally. And best of all, I don’t have to get dressed up and drive to any meetings!
I guess the adage is true, "It’s not WHAT you know but it’s WHO you know." It certainly works in the online world as well, as I attribute the growth of my business to it.
About the Author Donna Gunter
Best-selling author Donna Gunter works with successful business owners who are experts in their fields and established in their industry and are seeking a way to stand out from their competitors. Using her Ideal Clients on Autopilot System©, she helps them determine the exact strategies to generate more qualified leads and better-paying clients with automated systems. This proven system makes all their marketing easier and more effective and they find themselves positioned as the only choice for their clients.
