Online vs. Offline networking

We contact with people in real world as well as in online world, both of the places we talk to them and join there network.

Which networking do you think is easier to maker and is more usefull in increasing sale for your product

Networking online is getting easier and easier. I don't see one being more useful than the other.

Online networking is easier but how do u find genuine people n internet , there are more frauds in net than anywhere else

Originally Posted by mtajim Online networking is easier but how do u find genuine people n internet , there are more frauds in net than anywhere else

Personal introductions works just as good online as they do offline. The online networking sites that I've visited have features that allow for recommendations and getting introduced. An example is www.linkedin.com

The problem I've got with linkedIn referrals is that I keep getting people I'm vaguely connected to (but don't actually know) asking for recommendations in return for recommendations.

That totally devalues the referral thing.

How long have you been networking online, how are you networking online, what do you wish to accomplish networking online, and how much business has your networking online produced are questions I'd ask if you haven't yet.

MitchM

Originally Posted by Sam Deeks I keep getting people I'm vaguely connected to (but don't actually know) asking for recommendations in return for recommendations. That totally devalues the referral thing.

I realized it for the first time. may be there should be some condition like the person who you want to recommend, should be there in your first degree connection. what do u think?

Good idea - anything that makes the recommendation real and human... Personally, the only way a referral is credible to me is in the STORY someone tells.

I pay no attention to 'Great guy, must network with Preet' kind of referrals or 9/10 scores. Meaningless (unless you're on eBay and trying to find out whether someone actually delivers or doesn't).

The natural way to make recommendations meaningful is to express them in story form - by which I mean a piece of writing or audio / video that says who I am, what my problem was, how XXXX handled it and the benefits I got from that service. This is why I make audio testimonials for businesses.

If I were LinkedIn (or any online network), I'd design my system to get as close to real-world, word-of-mouth recommendation as possible. And in the real world, a stranger recommending another stranger carries no weight at all.

Sam that's great idea.

May be on linkedin if we have the audio facility, it would be great. Yes, the recommendation part in Linkedin need to be improved, the recommendation should be genuine. Otherwise the professional tag given to Linkedin might not serve its purpose.

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger Personal introductions works just as good online as they do offline. The online networking sites that I've visited have features that allow for recommendations and getting introduced. An example is www.linkedin.com

How is a site like Linkedin useful in increasing sales?