This installment I would like to discuss the thing that has made Twitter so powerful and dare I even say LIFE CHANGING.
It is time to take Twitter face to face.
As a young agent my mom (who was also my broker) used to tell me that real estate could only be done when you were “belly to belly” with someone who may at some time need to buy or sell property. There are many of these “old school” philosophies that hold water still today and this is one of them.
I was on Twitter quite some time before I sorted out the “who to follow” issue and it was a bit longer after that before I began to find opportunities to meet some of my Tweeps IRL.
My first meetings were at PodCamp WesternMA where the life changing part began. I walked in the room and was greeted with “Hey, there is Lesley Lambert!” from people who knew me only by my avatar on Twitter. I proceeded to meet a long list of people who would rock my world: my boyfriend-Morriss Partee, my business partner-Diane Guercio, friends too many to name.
From this first face to face meeting I also got a listing.
I was hooked. I decided that day that I would find every opportunity to meet these local Twitter friends.
Next up was my first Tweetup where I cemented friendships begun at PodCamp and branched out to more wonderful Western Massachusetts people.
One day I saw a tweet from @jessicawaters who was new to Western MA and was saying that she loved it here, but didn’t find the people at all friendly. I took it upon myself to invite her to lunch and a new friendship was born.
Since these initial forays into meeting people I have already met on Twitter I have attended numerous Tweetups, PodCamps, BarCamps and once flown across the country and back in 48 hours to attend a Tweetup (thanks again Nicole Nicolay!).
I have also developed these meetings into meaningful friendships, business contacts and closed transactions.
The beautiful thing about this process is that you have already met these people. The face to face meetings are warm and in some ways almost anti-climatic as you realize that any nerves you had were silly since this person is already a friend.
Last year I wrote a heart felt post about the Gifts that Social Media Has Brought Me. When I tell you that Twitter changed my life, I am not being dramatic or exaggerating. I am telling a powerful truth that I was blessed to embrace and experience and you can, too.
Twitter changed my life because I took those friendships face to face and I am forever grateful.
YOUR TO-DO LIST
#1- Attend a local tweetup. If none are being held in the near future or they are too few and far between then,
#2- Host a tweetup!
#3- Attend social media networking events in your area. We have a huge community built off of PodCamp WesternMA.
#4- Invite people to join you for lunch, cocktails, dinner, golf, volunteer work…you get the idea.
#5- Be proactive, genuine and friendly.
Good luck. I hope that opening yourself up to taking Twitter Face to Face will bring you as many wonderful gifts as it has to me!
