Social Media is about connecting and contributing, giving and helping… it’s about building relationship capital – NOT about selling.

My suggestion is always – connect online. Build a big bank of relationship capital by helping, giving and getting to know and demonstrating your care for people. Then, if appropriate and fits the interests, values, desires of your now deeply developed (relatively) relationship, take the “sales” introduction OFFLINE.

Think of it as a cocktail party – that is where you meet and show interest in others… not where you go from person to person “pitching” people. However, in social media (facebook, twitter, etc.) it’s like being at a cocktail party and standing on the dining room table and screaming – “Hey, excuse me… look at me… I want to talk to you about a money making opportunity”. Not the way to win friends and influence people!

-Darren Hardy