Great comments Peter. The whole notion that we can be strong professional selves online only isn’t true. Relationships built by social media have to be pulled offline at some point if you plan to grow, strengthen or use the relationship for business. We all like the idea of being witty and brilliant while in our pajamas with our cats, but the reality is at some point, you’ve got to be presentable–you have to prove yourself offline too and the in-person, live component can’t be ignored. I liken to a rock star. He can’t hide behind the music–he’s got to play live at some point, to live audiences and interact personally with his fans to grow his brand and develop himself.

I can vouch for point 1… Peter was kind enough to make time for a quick 10 minute call with me to give me some direction for a specific matter. Another great post!

Great points Peter. So often these days it is just the online portion people are focusing on where the offline is what will make the difference and separate yourself from others as well.

This reminds me of a United Airlines commercial in the late 80′s where a company has lost touch with their customers as business is only done by a fax and they don’t know their customers. A lot has changed in the 20 years since this commercial (look at how United charges for everything, but that is a different post) but the premise is indeed the same of using the technology around you to help but not to totally replace the integral part of communication and networking.

Very well said my friend. Keeping up offline is just as important as online. I always try to keep my offline efforts up at all times.

I especially like your point about variety (#3). One of the worst things for me is to feel like I’m in a rut, or even just in a comfort zone. That’s why I try to force myself out of feeling comfortable. I suck at networking, so I make myself attend networking events by myself to meet new people. I’m not great at small talk, so I joined a street team where I have to approach strangers and spark conversations. I try to check out events and venues I’ve never been to before.

And when I really felt like I was getting a little too comfortable in my professional routine, I decided to quit my job, move out of my apartment and buy a one-way ticket to Europe. A few months of traveling helped me mix things up a little.

So, totally agree – don’t get comfortable, get out there and try new things!

What about: Deliver the best possible product you can?

Your message is coming through loud and proud.

Taking your advice about getting up 30mins earlier and the last few days have been a revelaton. 30 mins of peace and quiet in the monring before the mad rush of kids and wife getting ready for work and schools.

Thanks man.

Great comments Peter! I have been struggling with this a little bit lately, and it’s good to have someone like yourself write about it. I have been working on making better connections for some time now, but to no avail. Thanks for the advice, and I’m sure this will change things!

When I started my freelance writing business I believed that I would be able to sit in my office collecting jobs from every corner of the world. I got work, but I didn’t get busy until I went into my community and reached out to local people face to face.

When I started using my online strategy to support my local strategy, my business blossomed. Not only that, but I actually gained more credibility to clients that I did find on the internet, because they didn’t view me as a recluse working in my basement.

In the same way that social media should be used to enhance traditional communications methods (not replace them), online branding should be used to enhance your traditional branding methods.

Great post Peter!

Peter,

Great lessons for all! Thanks for sharing your valuable information and guidance – it’s so important to teach and share….I so appreciate your wisdom!

Lana
Halifax, Nova Scotia

I have found that for items 4, 3 and 2 it is important to have a ‘signature’. You need to be professional, but I have found the being unique in some respect helps to set you apart in person. An attractive accessory, an interesting conversation starter or strong command of an audience are all great ways to be approached and also excuses to approach other people. That quality is often lost in on-line communications where we all ‘sound’ the same and look like a screen. Off-line encounters are a great way to stand out from the competition.

Like Greg said this is another great post. I once received an e-mail containing a young girl’s resume and she was asking me if she could come to a job interview. I read the resume and I couldn’t stop laughing. It was full of mistakes. It is the worst first impression someone could make about you. I agree with the other ideas you expressed, but no. 3 is my no. 1.

Thanks for another great post Peter. This reminder is just what I needed. Always need to work on keeping variety in the mix, listening to our clients and connecting with them. Offline branding is equally important for e-commerce businesses.

“Never, never, never give up” – Winston Churchill

I couldn’t agree more with getting out and meeting new people. My blog about Orlando-area events didn’t really take off until I called and made some appointments to sit down and actually meet the people responsible for putting on those great events. So, get out there and create some new relationships! It is worth the effort.

Great points Peter! I am a stickler on spelling and grammar – it kills me to hear and read the way young adults and kids speak and write these days! And on dressing, my Dad gave me that advice when I graduated from college – he told to me dress for where I wanted to be – not where I was at the time. Sometimes it’s hard to do that when you work from home behind a computer and are juggling being a Mom and entrepreneur, but it’s well worth a little extra effort!

Awesome! I think sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the online world that the real world can forget you exist. I love the idea of meeting 3 new people a day, and will make that a goal!

It’s unfortunate that you had that Harvard applicant who signed “4U”. Unfortunately sometimes people think that a degree from a certain university holds SO much weight that they can do no wrong. I once knew a Harvard grad who was moving from dead end job to dead end job and he wasn’t worried about building up his career in his 20s at all. Why not? He actually told me that “Well I went to Harvard so when I get serious and look for a real job they will see Harvard on my resume and hire me straight away.”

WOW.

Of course, I don’t ever discount top universities when hiring but I also don’t use it as the yardstick to which all hires are measured. There are plenty of lower tiered school graduates who care more, work harder and have to ‘prove’ themselves.

Great points all, firstly, have a virtual company and even though I do network, after being in business for a while my clients are referral based. I have found recently however, when I go after a new client or make the first move, the quality of the client is potentially higher. Maybe because I am stepping into a situation that interests me, something I can get jazzed about and getting out of my rut?
I love Susan Strayer’s comment, above…..”you have to pay live”….can’t hide in the virtual world 100% of the time. I would say I even go through this in my personal life, the art of conversation is dying….I find myself speaking in sound bites ….short is not necessarily sweet. Face to Face conversation, find a quiet place, put your smart phone away, look your conversation partner in the eyes (this used to be automatic for me, now I really have to think about it). Be ready for the interaction, be present, look and act the part of someone who is credible. Because we have so many ways to interact, lots of people are taking the easy way out. I don’t text cleints or suppliers, to easy to be iven a lower priority status, not to mention be overlooked, blown off.
I used to teach a resume and portfolio class to graduating students within the Art Institute system, among other classes; it was really crazy what our soon to be graduates came up with! They would sometimes tell me that they are “trade students” so they didn’t need to spell correctly or make a super professional impression…who tells them this stuff?

You’ve made some great comments about your personal branding, but what about your “corporate” brand? Even solo practitioners and small businesses must look out for how their logo, company name, images appear in print, on site and on line. We find people are skimping on a nice business card (still your most valuable in-person tool) and forgetting that your business “identity” should be taken seriously and express professionalism.

Nothing will every beat the personal interaction of face to face, we all crave it at some point in time.

I live by the motto, I’ll try anything once. That can be meeting someone new, saying yes to a new activity, or trying something new with my business. It certainly gives me plenty of stories to tell and connections that can be made when interacting with others if nothing else.

I also am a firm believer that language whether written or spoken should be tailored to the situation. A covering letter should definitely be formal and if you aren’t sure which is the right language, formal is always the best choice until you learn more and then you can adapt to suit.

Just today, I had 3 enlightening and potentially profitable conversations with old colleagues who were re-introduced to me through long time friends. 95% of the times I risk being uncomfortable and reach out, I end up having great conversations. Even if nothing comes out of them, I enjoyed the interactions so they were worth 15 minutes of my time.

Thanks for the reminder to stay connected offline. While technology will help us manage our communication going forward, I think the best use of online interaction will be to keep in touch with the colleagues and friends we really care about.

I was happy to see your commitment to #1. Not common in the world today. Thanks and thanks for another great post.

Peter, thank you for your post. To your point in #3. The number of channels we have available today for communication is “many” (i.e. social, mobile, email, blog, smartphone, video, slideshare, etc.) but where individuals and companies get lost or perhaps confused is setting the “level of message appropriateness” for these channels and their audiences. Coupled with an inability to properly communicate, it’s no surprise why so many messages are ignored today. Happy and restful weekend to the P.S. community!

Great points, thank you so much. Sometimes I forget there is an offline world, really!
All day today – I have picked up the phone and had actual conversations with people instead of just emailing, texting, skyping, facebooking – it feels good.

Scheduled several “first meetings” as well.

“4U?” Are you kidding me? People like that make me lose faith in the world. In addition to using Internet lingo in the professional world, I also cannot stand when people mistake the proper usage of there, their, and their. Also, you’re and your. Talk about an elementary education fail. It’s these little things that people take for granted and they end up losing all credibility before anything important can be said.

Great post.

Taking meetings with people is quickly becoming a lost art. With so many ways of communication, face to face interaction is some times left out of the cycle. I have been hired, worked for, and let go by a boss that I had never met face to face. Sad really.

I really like this post but I have to wonder about the last point and meeting with people. What do you meant by that?
I have at least 10 sales people at all times wanting to meet with me on a daily basis, weekends included who want to sell me anything and everything. I wouldn’t be able to work if I met with everybody who wants “just 10 minutes of my time”. This doesn’t even include the follow ups upon follow ups and emails.

Then I get the never ending donation requests… hundreds weekly. Walk ins, phone calls, emails…

Then there are people who want employment and the friends and family who know somebody who wants employment….

Make time for them all?