Business Networking: How to Work the "Virtual" Room

By Susan RoAne, The Mingling Maven®

There are also stories of the dangers of meeting "on-line friends." Exercising caution is important.

A chat room is a subject or an interest-based "room" and can vary in size (numbers of visitors) from moment to moment. When someone enters, their entry is heralded by a notice/greeting. Sometimes individuals will greet you, other times not. It is best to observe the conversation before jumping into a monologue on your favorite subject.

The Mystique

Anonymity is a feature of the on-line world where only e-mail handles are used. Hiding behind a name, pseudonym, if you will, runs counter to the concept of heartfelt conversation. It's difficult enough that we hear no tone, no inflections, facial expressions, but we now have no idea with whom we are really chatting. But, once we discover other Trekkies, classical jazz fans, fellow meeting planners, mountain bikers, grandparents concerned about education, people who are caring for elderly parents, the shared support and information is nirvana. In the cyber "room to work," we must be both technically and socially adept to manage our professional and personal success in the 21st Century.

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