Last week when I was in Cincinnati for a Toastmasters convention, I got into a conversation with another Toastmaster about a social media training session that was held at the convention.

He told me that he wasn’t at the session, but that he heard it was led by a woman named Crystal and the woman had blond hair.

Disappointed that I had missed this session, I got to thinking that perhaps this session was led by my LinkedIn friend Crystal Thies, as she fit the description of the presenter.

So, I messaged through LinkedIn asking her if she had been the one to lead that session at our convention.

She wrote back that she wasn’t the presenter, but she asked if I would like to get together for lunch while I was in town, as she lives in Cincinnati area.

We were able to get together and had such a fine time exchanging ideas. We also talked about taking our business relationship to another level.

Keep in mind that until last week, I had never met Crystal or even talked with her by phone. All our exchanges in the several years I have known her have been via LinkedIn.

FYI, Crystal is an expert on LinkedIn, especially for those in the financial industry. Find out more about her and her business at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17056420&locale=en_US&trk=tyah

What a treat it was to spend time with her even though we hadn’t planned this visit in advance.

Tips on Meeting in Person with Social Media Connections

1. When you are traveling and have even a bit of time to spare, reach out to a social media connection you haven’t met in person. Schedule time together and really make a point to get to know each other better – both personally and professionally.
2. Follow your instincts and reach out to a social media connection media if they start coming to mind. Even though the Crystal I know wasn’t the presenter at my convention, it turned out that she was available to meet with me after I messaged her.
3. Keep building your social media networks, especially your LinkedIn connections. Don’t think that you have “enough” connections. Brainstorm the kinds of people you would like to meet in person to help grow your business and help them prosper too. Start by connecting with them in LinkedIn, and then figure out a way to meet with them face to face.

 

Back to You

Do you have a story like mine? Have you ever found yourself meeting in person with a social media connection via the serendipity that led to my lunch with Crystal?

How do you proactively plan to meet in person with your social media connections who live in your area? How do you do the same thing for those who live elsewhere?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers’ Social Media Tutor, helps people relatively new to social media to become more effective and comfortable in their use of this medium. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com