Like you, I get invitations every day to join this new social networking site … or that new social networking site. And, I know from talking to people that many are getting weary of all the invitations for it just seems like more work, less return, and time aggravation.
In the last few days I’ve received 3 invitations to join Fast Pitch Networking (2 were from strangers and 1 was from a person that I barely know). Before I join any social networking site, I like to check it out to see what is going on inside the network. So, I spent some time looking around inside Fast Pitch. After looking through 10 pages of profile thumbnails, I did not recognize one person. After doing searches on 8 different categories, I saw 2 people that I recognized their names but do not personally know.
Then, I googled Fast Pitch and there are a number of favorable articles about it from Dr. Ivan Misner. I found that to be a little surprising and here is why. My early take on Fast Pitch Networking is that it is not about building relationships as much as it is about hitting as many people as you can with your message in the hope that someone will be interested in what you have to offer (kind of like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see how many noodles will stick). I’ve read and admired much of what Dr. Misner has to say about networking and building relationships so I was a little taken aback that he is giving Fast Pitch Networking a “thumbs up.” Turns out that he really likes the publicity aspect of Fast Pitch and that surprised me even more.
Why do I say that? Well, one of their big (and I do mean BIG) selling points for joining Fast Pitch Networking is that you can easily send your marketing message to a targeted 50,000 members of Fast Pitch with just a few clicks of your mouse and your keyboard.
Oh goody! Ka-ching, ka-ching, is what most spammers would be thinking about right now.
But what most people forget is this, it is just as easy for 50,000+ people to be sending you their marketing messages as well. And that, my friend, is a sinkhole that I don’t want to fall into.
Personally, I like being involved in the social networks that create safety barriers to make it a little more work for people to contact me. And I don’t mind at all that I have to take a few extra steps to reach out and touch the people that I want to be in contact with as well.
It all comes back to “with all things being equal, we do business and refer business to people we know, like, and trust.” Just because “Fast Pitchers” can fill my inbox with their offers does not mean that I’ll be inclined to do business with them. It is an assured way to end up in the roundfile or the electronic trash bin.
My recommendation is to hang out in the social networks that respect the value and theory of building relationships. Take and make the time to build your business by showing up in your social networking circles on a regular basis. Give people an opportunity to learn about who you are and what you do as you also learn about them. Build your business relationships over time and you will see the results that you desire through your strong and diverse relationships.
Throwing a plate of spaghetti against the wall may get some of the noodles to stick … but it’s not a pretty picture! And remember, if you are “fast pitching” … I’m not catching!