I’ve been agonizing about something, and as it is something about the social networking world, I thought I should ask the wonderful people in my network to help me decide on it. So here it is.
I’ve been asked to do a 15 minute presentation about ‘professional networking’ at an RIBA event in October. I’ve been asked largely because of my presence on twitter amongst the architectural profession – I started looking for architects on twitter a year ago and run the ‘Architects Twitter League’.
The problem is, I haven’t been told what they want me to talk about.
The audience will be “a cross section of construction industry professionals who are involved with the RIBA and partner organisations” – i.e. people in UK Construction, not just architects.
The organizers want the group to discuss ‘web 2.0 technologies and networks, and how they can be used by professionals to keep in touch with colleagues and clients and raise the profile of their business.’
Many of the audience will be new to these technologies.
So I think I should start with the audience, and I’m painfully aware that they are not my audience on twitter. They are people NOT using social media.
Here are my questions for you:
- What do you think will be the issues affecting them right now?
- What do you think they will be thinking about ‘web 2.0 technologies and networks’?
- What do you think would be the most effective use of my 15 minutes?
I’m pretty confident talking to an audience, but I’m not confident about what I’d be good to talk about here. You know me – you probably know better than me what I’m good at in this sphere.
What do you think I should talk about?
They have asked you to talk about professional networking and I would stick closely to that. As mentioned above, I would want to know what it in for me (who doesn’t want to know that) and whether or not I could do it. Sometimes it’s painted as something only the teens can do when quite clearly it isn’t. I would want to know what to do as in is it just sign up and sit back or is there something else that I should be doing.
Wishing you the nest of luck at the Riba event, whatever you decide I KNOW you will be fantastic
Sarah
Thanks so much Sarah – good point about the importance of putting in the effort, too.
Here’s my $0.02. (I can’t convert to Pounds)
I am working on a similar presentation to some of my colleagues.
1. What can I use it for now if I don’t facebook, twitter do anything other than email?
2. I am not interested in Brittney or twilight what does a business like mine do with it?
3. If you can be online, demo how much info can be found and shared in 15(or 5) minutes.
Fisrtly I think they are wondering what will the impact of SM be to me.
How will I fit the extra work in? And also why now?
Then they think what will the benefits be? And how soon?
If it only ‘social’ then where’s the value?
So is it about understandinmg employment trends…
Is it about understanding customer – talking to them, conversations,
Is it about research, knowing ones market, gathering info?
-s it about about communication with peers and defining one product…
Or all or some or more?
So is it more than marketing, more than profile, more than knowledge (gathering/sharing)
Does it move a business… Does it move customers?
Maybe in 2009 the customers are the same as ever, but maybe
Ne entrants use you as knowledge sources
But in 5 or 10 years where will these people be?
Perhaps still following and in a position to bring in new work
Perhaps ‘traditional’ architects benefit by being seen to be techological?
Perhaps modern architects are expected to tweet?
Public perception?
When will geekdom crossover to mainstreem?
I feel pretty mainstream now but probably in front 5%
Where are you?
Perhaps more to follow
Talk about how you asked this question, and the responses that you got.
Hi Nick,
You know since you suggested this I have had responses from over 70 people. Sort of proves the point!
Do you know any architects and the like that are not into social media and/or networking who you can chat to in advance? Ask them directly what they would like to know – get some feedback from some similar to what you expect of your audience. I can email a couple of design managers at Buoygues UK who have yet to consider such things – partly because they are so busy and have little time for anything beyond the project they’re working, on if that’s useful…
We’ve corresponded about this suggestion and its very welcome.
I’ve since also had a very useful email from JW Blanchard about the way the online world actually makes networking more efficient.
Part of the perception problem, I think, is the term “social media”. This term has implications that confuse people who don’t understand the potential of this “world”.
They hear about people posting messages that are misunderstood. They fear privacy invasion. They fear appearing “unprofessional”.
Social media use is not so much about “what’s in it for me”. It is more about “what can my participation in social media add for the purpose of helping others understand my profession”. To me, social media is about helping everyone else. Isn’t this why people want to be “social” in the first place?
I’m in the US. I was interviewed recently by my AIA section about the impact of the recession. My comments were published in the newsletter sent out to collegues (along with many others). I started with explaining why collegues need to have a website with appropriate content. I was amazed at how many architects still do not have a website!!
Then I suggested social media use. Appropriate use of social media forums allows a firm to “connect” and make a positive impression.
I went on to suggest why sharing useful mutually beneficial information is so important. Regardless of practice area, be helpful to people you interact with and post tips and comments that your audience can actually use. Be mindful that your audience includes existing clients, possible new clients as well as collegues, allied construction professionals, students, journalists, politicians, design and non-design people. I try to communicate the value of architectural services in general.
It is not about photos of high profile projects that networking people really want. It’s about helping them understand the rationale and logic behind the value architectural services provide.
Social media allows us all to communicate the merits of our profession more easily then ever before.
To me, this is the real power of professional social media networking.
I’ve also posted the question on Linkedin – getting some interesting answers there too:
What Should I Talk to the RIBA About?
Tell them the story…
I’ve been recommended Presentation Zen – story telling is one of the main themes of Garr Reynolds’ approach
Fifteen minutes is not long enough to explain the online social media, so only talk about it as one means to an end rather than as a subject in itself. Professional networking is about getting out to meet people, and social media are tools to help select the people to meet.
Emphasise the need to get out of the office and talk to people the audience would not normally see, and explain why it is important; it is not necessarily the people they meet who will help their businesses, but the people their new contacts know, or perhaps even one more step. Also explain about the “Giver’s Gain” principle in that one gains influence and ultimately business through generosity and kindness. List a few of the networking organisations people can join and perhaps concentrate on the face-to-face networks such as Business Scene, NRG and the breakfast networks.
We here are all familiar with the use of online social media, but leave any detail about these to any time left for questions. It is not essential to be a dab hand at the online stuff to actually get out and see people.
Su,
Don’t forget to tell them that successful SN involves engaging with your audience, and entering into a dialogue.
!
Sue, This past Friday evening I attended an opening for a photography exhibit at a local gallery. I met this film/media consultant and we got into a discussion on the use for Facebook and Twitter. I immediately discussed how I use both and right now how I was very excited about twitter. I explained to her all of the colleagues that I have encountered from around the world and how we share information on subjects of mutual interest. In addition I mentioned to her the power of twitter tags and search.
So I pulled out my iPhone and opened up TweetDeck and asked her to give a me a subject that was a interest of hers. She told me she really wants to put together a film on women with aspergers, because it is something that really is not being discussed. So I showed her by typing in the search box “#aspergers” that it would provide all tweets that have been posted regarding the subject. Sure enough once typed and entered a fairly substantial list came back, she scrolled through some of the tweets and said this exactly the kind of information that she had been looking for. I explained to her that she would be able to further her discussion with them through twitter. She thanked me and stated that she had not realized the real benefit and power of twitter prior to that. I think if you can walk your audience through a couple of real world examples on its use that a light bulb will come on and the audience will begin to see the power and benefit as well.
Craig, a similar thing happened to me with a friend’s husband who is interested in Pre-Hospital Care! He was very impressed at the search value of twitter.
I’d forgotten…
whoops, sorry I meant Su. 🙂
I answered on LinkedIn.
I think we are well past the point where people are discussing benefits.
It’s more a question of communication in an ‘always-on’ world and what that means for your audience who are often on the move and on-site.
Social media platforms are merely there to facilitate this communication.
Almost every client beef includes “they don’t keep in contact enough”.
Not using social media will increasingly become commercial suicide. I posted on LinkedIn about differentiating between social media in marketing and social media in customer relationships/sales — two entirely different beasts.
Thanks Jeremy,
Your suggestions on Linkedin were very interesting.
As I understand it the event I’m speaking at has conveniently been split into ‘Communications’ and ‘Professional Networking’ and I’m in the latter camp, which at least reduces the task somewhat.
In construction the criticism of lack of communication with architects continues to arise – you weren’t the only person to mention it to me in answer to my question and its my experience in practice that other architects are losing work to us for this reason, particularly at the moment when shopping around is a real issue.
Hi Sue
An awkward one. You know a lot. Maybe they know a little.
Here is what happened at a morning event I ran for project managers.
http://www.conferencereaction.co.uk/apm/090326_people_sig/index.html
We did not really web do 2.0 which is more about mashing up information from a variety of sources to create a more useful entity for a specific audience. The audience could be you or a community.
Perhaps talk about the parts e.g Twitter, Facebook then the aggregators e.g. Friendfeed, iGoogle and the BBC home page. Talk about the value this has given you.
Andrew, have you come across be2camp yet? Some really interesting people doing a range of different mashups around built environment projects.
I think you are right about the little/lot problem. I’m thinking about using real examples to dispel myths(and demonstrate power).
Hi Su,
For me, you can only say one thing in 15 mins. I ran a LinkedIn seminar last week for 2 hours and only scratched the surface!
I would stick to answering – ‘What is it and what is the point?’ in very broad terms.
The key point I would put across is that it isn’t about broadcasting spam or listening to noise. It is all about the conversation.
As you state, and as I am very aware, the vast majority of those in the construction profession, including architects, have no idea of the power of social media or even what it is!
Su,
For an audience made up primarily of non-Social Media users, I think you have to cover the basics:
1. What it is;
2. Who’s using it (eg. address misconceptions – it’s major businesses, both construction & non-construction, recent stats on older age groups etc.)
3. What are the benefits;
4. Examples of it in action.
I agree that a story-telling approach is likely to be more persuasive to a non-techie audience. For example, I was really impressed by how the on-line conversations between yourself & others transferred into real life at the recent construction event (convention?) in Birmingham, and I wasn’t even there! I followed it all on Twitter..
Personally, the conversations I’ve had online have increased publicity for my business with various Twitter friends featuring it in blogs and publications they write for and has even led to work referrals. The blog, where I discuss home design & planning issues from a clients point of view, has been one of the most successful aspects of my business during this difficult year and has also generated new work leads.
And it’s exciting to see how other architects are embracing the possibilities of new media – @howtoarchitect (US) regularly posts videos discussing different aspects of being an architect, @scarpadog (UK) posts images of his practices work on his blog, @tommymanuel (US) posts concept ideas about architecture. Social media lets you share ideas and information, define your expertise, but also (ironically) put a human face on your business.
Ultimately, it’s about marketing and I think that’s a concept that construction professionals already have difficulty with.
One of the most common complaints I hear about using Social Media is: ‘We don’t have time for this.’ Well, marketing your practice should be an integral part of your daily business and if it isn’t already you need to start now. When you leave it until things get bad, it’s already too late because there are no quick returns in Social Media, any more so than in real-life relationship building.
For me, it’s about building trust and relationships with everyone – clients, colleagues, community – through communicating a positive, authentic message about who you are and what you have to offer.
Hope that helps!
Brilliant answer Angela.
The event you mention is Be2Camp Brum – I wasn’t there either, but then that isn’t so much of a problem with the efforts of techies in the team keeping everyone connected.
Its great to hear that its working for your practice, too.
I just wanted to drop in and say WOW – and Thank You!
I am amazed at all the incredible responses I’ve had here, and on Linkedin.
As well as the comments you can see here I’ve also received numerous private emails and phone calls.
I’ve been offered introductions to influential or informed people, materials from peoples’own presentations (and loads of links of course!), ideas for Tools to use in presenting, some brilliant advice on giving presentations, and offers of various collaboration opportunities.
Its going to take me a while to work through these, and they are still coming in, but I’m planning to incorporate all your advice and ideas into what I need to share, and reply to you all individually too.
I’ll be back in touch about this. Thank you 🙂
I have sometimes used the Be2camp story to illustrate how people can make connections.
In a nutshell, Be2camp started just 15 months ago as a Twitter conversation between two people in the UK, then extended to two more people (one in Australia and another in the USA). It quickly spawned a Google Group, then a Ning website, and the idea of a Barcamp-style ‘unconference’ was born. Word was spread via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the Ning site…. And we had 50 people at the inaugural London event – plus a further 180 online!
We are now approaching our fourth Be2camp unconference – set to be a two-day event run alongside a major industry exhibition, and the Be2camp community is growing, now (as of today) over 270-strong, and still international in complexion.
Moreover, and from a personal perspective, dozens of the Be2camp people are now personal friends, first encountered online but then met face-to-face (at Tweet-ups, at AECNetwork, as well as Be2camp events). And I and many others have generated sales leads that have translated into paid projects.
I would concentrate on what social media can do for them, give them a statistic that proves it’s not only teens on here (twitter/facebook, etc)but people like us (18-65 yrs old). Social media should be part of your marketing mix, you do this to further your work/business (exposure, brand building, collaboration, research, etc). Show them how to do it (don’t tell people about the breakfast you had, the shower you took, etc…) but that posting only links to your blog/website will not work either; people do not want to be told to buy or told to constantly check out “look at me” postings. You need to create empathy- it has to be a mix of work and a personality has to come through.You can shout about your work but not push it down someone’s throat. People buy from people they like. Architects are not the most tech savvy – I work with a few and they often feel it is below them (“geeky, not professional enough, seens as not serious”). That is so far from reality, the only architects doing well are the ones willing to try new things, new methods and marketing themselves, something they had never had to do until quite recently.
Lastly – as part of a marketing mix, they cannot be expected to do 3 postings and get results- it’s about having a strategy, action and consistency. If something does not quite work after a while change it, modulate, tweek. The great thing about social media is that you can look at where the visitors go and on what your stats are and this will guide your response for further social media interaction.
What lovely responses Su, it’s clearly a hot topic! I played this 4 min presentation at the start of a SM workshop I ran last week, which really helped to introduce the topic to a few people that didn’t understand it yet: http://redcubemarketing-blog.com/2009/08/24/is-social-media-a-fad/
You could start with that and then make it relevant to them. Talk through the strategy, the tools, what they can realistically achieve and, finally, how to go about it. That’s a lot to get through in 10 mins, but I’m sure you can cover the main points. It will certainly get them thinking 🙂
Hi Su,
Regarding the RIBA talk / presentation:-
Presentation:-
How this could be done is a bit of a minefield. It could be;-
1.
Traditional computer software presentation such as slide route e.g. PowerPoint –
Losing popularity these days,
But fairly easy & quick to produce for instant display to audience and allows screenshots, images, video etc… from software / applications / media.
2.
Pre-made cue cards / boards etc… –
A creative route that Architectural people may like and relate to with pencil, pen & ink, colourings etc… (bit ‘Arty’ with possibilities) –
Could take ages to create, be difficult to see and transport media to venue.
3.
Flipcharts, White board etc… –
Might slow down presentation if done ‘ad-hoc and as it happens’. Also might be difficult to see. Media needs to be large.
4.
Or combinations / variations of any of the above.
Content:-
An interesting, maybe useful starting point is to look at a PowerPoint presentation done by Twitter user, Paul Wilkinson for the Be2camp event in Birmingham in August, where he discussed social media with web 2.0 with difference to web 1.0 (Internet Explorer, Mail clients, e.g. Outlook etc..):-
http://www.slideshare.net/EEPaul/be2camp-brum-pr
Various technologies are listed. Where this could be taken and extended is to detail or describe how each is relevant and can be used in Architecture and Construction.
It might be suitable to start with an overall map of where everything fits together, like a mind-map or bubble diagram with say ‘The Architect’ or ‘Builder’ in the middle extending out to all the technologies. Maybe they could be grouped in groups of similar ‘like’ or hierarchy.
Analogies to Architecture might get the Architecture people excited and wake them up. The whole picture of everything might be described as ‘organic’, ever evolving and changing, new technologies developing all the time or organised and structured, maybe comparisons to work by say Gaudi or Le Corbusier with pictures of buildings.
If the technologies are identified and listed it might be important to go through them briefly (the key ones or a range or spectrum of them across their diversity) and show what they can be used for and how the audience may benefit. Screenshots would benefit enormously.
For example with;
LinkedIn, Facebook etc… ;
To show and list individual / group profiles, CV’s etc… with connections individually or as groupings with developed information, for display, requests etc…
Twitter;
It can be used:-
1.
For general social individual / organisational networking ranging from general chit chat, to posting personal information, photos etc…
2.
To share information, say posting what’s in the media, news articles from newspapers, journals etc…
3.
As a sales tool promoting an organisations work, what they do, projects, examples of work etc…
4.
To ask questions ask for advice or help, e.g. ‘I have bats in the Belfry… what can I do?’ … ‘I don’t understand Building Regs part G, section…’
Stephen Fry had a problem with I think a bat in his house, he asked for advice and loads of answers came back.
And it can be operated with a variety of tools, e.g. Twitpic for posting pictures etc…
As Twitter is more ‘PC User’ to ‘PC User’ internet connection via a screen, mouse, keyboard etc.. it could be interesting to show how other technologies take contact further;
Skype;
For communication by voice and then,
AEC Network or Be2camp;
Via screen, mouse, keyboard etc… to on-line typed ‘chat’, to at the other end of the scale, face to face group meetings, with presentations etc…
Blogs;
For entry of commentary: news, information etc… either by individuals or organisations. Twitter user, @lornaparsons ‘s Architectural practice (Bryant Priest Newman Architects) has a blog: http://bryantpriestnewman.wordpress.com/ for example. In such use this could be used as a sales / promotional tool.
One of my favourite blogs (apart from Just Practising of course!) is Twitter user, @Zerochamp (Phil Clark) with his sections on his ‘Refurbishment Series’ (http://zerochampion.building.co.uk/), where he blogs about work he is carrying out on a Victorian house he has bought. This includes information about what work he has planned or is looking at doing or undertaking as well as questions and advice relating to all of this – as I believe Phil is a bit of a novice with knowledge of constructional build matters. I’ve left advice for him, and recently so has Twitter user, @thebishopoftwit. In discussions with @thebishopoftwit on Twitter I mentioned how this blog is a great learning tool for not just Phil, but others reading, with what has to-date been friendly useful information left to blog posts. He replied and said he could see this as a useful CPD tool for himself. A good example has been the most recent post about insulating and re-finishing a roof. Each of the replies to the post has added different information from different angles. I completely forgot about the issue of changing the roofing material which might cause sagging to roof timbers if of a heavier weight, and yet someone brought this point up.
For something different;
Second Life (http://secondlife.com/);
Could be shown as a virtual world for connecting, socialising, meeting, presentations etc… but additionally as a possible tool in Architecture /Building for say testing buildings. It’s use being more suited to spatial planning where the ‘crit’ commands a huge potential ongoing audience for as long as a building is in place, an example being the Virtual Aloft Hotel, where spaces, flow of the building and fittings and fixtures could be examined and tested by users.
I have some software which allows the recording of still shots and movements from a PC screen so a movie file could be recorded of a walk through of a building in Second Life, such as the reconstructed Barcelona Pavilion (originally by Architect, Mies van der Rohe), which people might find interesting with exploring spaces.
And then are web / software applications or grouping and linking of software applications together, such as:-
Building Information Modelling (BIM);
With move from 2D to 3D information away from paper to software with the development & construction of buildings to occupancy, use and end-use (e.g. demolition) all with real-time dynamic modelling;
Which could lead to the Be2camp stuff, e.g.
Some examples might include;
Pachube (http://www.pachube.com/) for connecting, tagging and sharing real time sensoring from objects, buildings, environments etc… around the world, or,
Woobius (https://www.woobius.com/) collaboration software for computer to computer sharing / transfer of information and data.
And even Wiki’s;
To store, organize and share information as required with say secure logins. For example in design how do Structural Engineers or Quantity Surveyors get drawings, specifications, schedules etc… from Architects? – by post, by visit collection, meeting, or by e-mail? With Wiki’s this information can be held on a web-site with authorized login for users to area’s where information is only for them in electronic format. This might be as PDF’s etc… or the recipient might have CAD and then be able to open copies of original work. Similarly at design stage how does a Code for Sustainable Homes Assessor see the design stage work? Could it be accessed via a wiki?
So there are lots of examples and avenues for illustrating web 2.0 / social media content and development for a presentation and talk!
The key thing is to show what it can be used for in Architecture / Construction, with lots of pretty pictures, screenshots etc… For example a screenshot could be taken from Twitter with a question, e.g. ‘I need a planning consultant. What is the telephone number for Prince Charles?’ To do this might therefore favour dreary traditional PowerPoint!
Hope this all somehow helps.
If you need any further information or assistance, please let me know.
Regards,
Robin.
such fantastic suggestions already! I also like that SM is about peers sharing info; which I regard more credibly than just what organisations want to tell me. I’m not getting as much ‘dialogue’ on Twitter as I was hoping for, but hopefully more people will soon understand the pluses of spending some time doing just that – engaging and responding.
Isn’t this post turning into a wonderful resource?
Kirsten, in some ways twitter is difficult for conversations – some moved onto Friendfeed but I can’t really get friendfeed -there are so many variables you really need to understand how RSS works and it can take too much time. That’s one of the nice things about twitter, it is pretty simple once you get the basics.
One thing you might want to try (I’m assuming you don’t have a blog) is http://posterous.com – it is a place to post up things and start up conversations, whilst it can interact with twitter – you set it up to post your posts to twitter (or other sites) and your replies too.
Might be worth a try.
Hi Su – thanks for engaging with me and taking it further. This forum has given me lots to think about. Best, KT
The subject is “Professional Networking,” so a lot of the usual arguments for social media are not going to be relevant.
I think the message needs to be along the lines of web technologies providing tools which allow anyone to extend their existing network across geographical boundaries, and professional disciplines.
The people who use Twitter, Linkedin etc are there because they are predisposed to share and learn from others in their own, and related, professions. So there is a ready-made network waiting for anyone to join.
If you can provide examples of people in your digital network who you would not have encountered without SM, and assistance you have received, then I think your 15 minutes will soon be up.
Wowzers Robin, that was a great response!
Good luck Su! I think the problem is not going to be what to say but rather what not…
It´s amazing what a huge and complex thing social media is. I´ve only very recently started to get into it, and to be honest I´m not finding it that easy because there is so much to learn and understand.
For a long time I knew that it´s something that should be tried, but the fear and lack of knowledge about where to start held me back. If it was me in the audience I think a few simple steps on how to get started would be useful – and perhaps a demonstration of the power of it would give the added interest in going for it!
That would make a good balance, thanks for your comment Jane.
Hi Sue,
Sorry for the delay in responding – life and work gets in the way sometimes!
Your presentation is on “Professional Networking” delivered to a Broad Audience and the things that this brings to mind for me are set out below.
To me a Social Networking tool is Facebook, etc. and a Professional Networking tool is Linkedin, etc. and there is a distinct difference between the contributors / engagers and I think the lines often get blurred along the way.
a. I go on Facebook to connect with friends and family and to share bits of useless information – it’s for fun.
b. Linkedin on the other hand is about connecting my Real Networks to the virtual world so I can maintain connectivity with them over time – the problem with the Real Networks is if I move or my connection moves jobs then there’s a good chance we lose the connectivity and its not until some point in the future that either I or the other person find themselves asking the question “I wish I knew where they were because… they were ideal for that job, or they were an expert on that subject, etc.” It allows me to have loose relationships and keep track of people long after you had any Real Network contact.
c. The other benefit of Linkedin (or similar sites) is that I can expand my Network in to other organisations, informal networks or directly to people for a particular reason. I think the benefit of Virtual Networks is that they engender a more open approach to connecting to people – you accept a speculative connection and who knows what opportunities it might bring – I attended a workshop a few years ago and it was about Creating & Maintaining Knowledge Relationships and one of the main points driven home was that its often your loose or virtual connections that are of more assistance than those in your Real Network and in my experience I can vouch for this.
d. The power of the Professional Networking is that its not just Client, Supplier, Engineer or Architect focused – its OPEN, its available to all to have a blast –anyone who knows about collaboration knows that the more ideas, the more input the better… I think it encourages this – that said some contributions are flaky (I have another word for this also).
e. I do struggle with face to face Network Meetings because 9/10 you might meet someone who might be of assistance at some point in the future but by that time you have probably lost contact anyway – the joy of the Virtual Network is as explained earlier – call when you need me please and I’ll do my best – no promises but my approach is simple – help someone – they owe you one for the future and vice versa.
f. Finally I do hate people who come on Linkedin and reject invitations (yes I have made direct contact with the odd person speculatively) – it’s a Professional Networking site and if your going to go you might as well go the whole way…. Sorry about referring to Linkedin all the while – it’s my weapon of choice and the one I know best…
I hope this helps shape your thoughts – let us know how you get on…
Best Regards,
John Lohan (in case you didnt sus it out yet you can find me on Linkedin)
Hi John,
Some good points here. I particularly like the emphasis on how the internet really does blow open networking to everyone. This is especially noticeable in provincial towns where everyone thinks they know everyone else, but if you go online you find this is patently untrue.
I love linkedin – its partially closed nature has a purpose and creates different kinds of relationships to broad spread networks like twitter. The Q&A system on Linkedin yielded 26 answers – http://www.linkedin.com/answers?viewQuestion=&questionID=542545&askerID=14761836&goback=.mml_inbox_none_DATE_1.mid_1427712819
Whilst there is some crossover theres also complete unknowns answering, some very experienced people giving the sort of advice that someone like me wouldn’t normally be able to access.
Thanks for putting the time in John, I know your time is particularly precious.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for volunteering for this slot.
Perhaps you may wish to reflect on your experiences of preparing for the presentation itself – you’ve used extensive networks and a range of web technologies to share ideas for this. An example like this whilst keeping it simple (and fun) would be ideal.
I was thinking of doing something (again for the uninitiated) using a web 2.0 tool before/during the day. Any ideas would be great – it has to be easy to manage!
Hi Clare,
Thanks very much for your reply. I think a live demonstration of some sort is a really good idea. I’ve emailed you my phone number so we can have a discussion about it.
As a recruiter, networking is a daily event. And if you’re going to talk about the value of networking, the audience is going to want to know what’s in it for them. But if they’re not using a networking tool (you call it social networking, I tend to address it as professional networking) then they don’t yet have a reason for using it. Why?
Since everyone’s motives are different at the margin, consider sticking to the core reasons they benefit. Those include job security and the expansion of career and project opportunities. Those translate into money, freedom and happiness.
There’s a fair amount of work in maintaining a good network and many professionals are getting ruthless about what impinges on their non-work time. Easy, efficient, targeted, productive might be good adjectives. They’ll be more meaningful with real life examples. Perhaps you can get some from your target audience beforehand.
hi su,
Wow! This response alone must be one of the most powerful examples to show them. And what a great resource.
I’m also a big fan of storytelling in presentations, so I would definitely go down that route.
Also, for quick clips to kick off I’ve used this commoncraft utube vid – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE
I also agree with the point made that you can probably only cover one or possibly two points if you are going to do them justice
Good luck
Ben