Does Speed Kill?
Joe (not his real name) has been a client for nearly three years. Frank (not his real name either) has been a client since 2005. They both met each other in a business building forum and became fast friends. One of them recently told me that, “We are finishing each other’s sentences.” They have become very close.
While working with Joe two weeks ago, we were discussing a profit center in his business. This profit center provides products to home owners in San Diego County and is currently manufactured on a property Joe leases. I suggested that he talk to Frank about the possibility of moving that profit center to a location Frank has available in Orange County. Joe agreed to do so the next time they spoke. I spoke with Frank yesterday. When Joe and Frank got together to speak about the profit center the conversation centered on the purchase price for a unit from the profit center. They never spoke about relocating the manufacturing facility to Orange County.
My friend Bill offered to introduce me to Jim. Bill saw that Jim and I share a certain propensity for social media. This was a virtual introduction by way of email. The goal was to connect by telephone. With schedules as they are, it was weeks before Jim and I connected by telephone. We had a very amiable conversation, yet there was no excitement. We both came away from the conversation wondering why Bill connected us. We never spoke about social media. It was not until after I asked Bill why he connected me to Jim that I discovered that we should have spoken about social media.
It seems like the more we do, the faster we go getting less quality. We are on this never ending treadmill of emails, social commitments, and now the cloud. With the desire to grow our businesses or help others grow theirs we often miss the message and its intent. We are going too fast, and the merry-go-round is passing us by.
My coach years ago used the phrase, “If it is worth doing, it is worth writing down.” With computers, Cyber Space, and social media writing everything is important. Being certain the message is clear and is received is priceless. If the connection is worth making be sure that the message is clear. The message must be received to be effective. The phrase that pays for our Internet society when it comes to communication is, “If it is worth telling, make sure that the message reaches its intended receiver.”
While attending a seminar some years ago when social media was gaining a foothold, the presenter said, “Practice social media as if you were face to face.” At that time, it rang true to me. The real difference between social media in the 1980s to 2013 is being face to face versus behind a computer. It has been said by my dear friend Stan, “Social media allows 90 percent of the population who do not like face to face networking to network!”
The answer is, “Speed can kill a good (fill in the blank.)” You see, this article is not only about business relationships. Speed can kill personal relationships. We become “too busy” becoming so efficient. We are finding ourselves in a quagmire, multi-tasking and producing poor to abysmal results. For once, forget the email or text message and pick up the phone to “touch” someone. Actually talk to someone who is always texting. You will be surprised as to the result. Embrace technology while being certain that you continue to do your due diligence. When the message is sent is it being received? Speed kills good (fill in the blank!)
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops. His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started INTEGRITY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
