I recently got an email from a designer who had found my details on a business directory. He was asking me to bear him in mind if I ever had need of someone with his skills and background.
It happens all the time, and I've done it myself. Except that this time my first thought was to ask 'are you on Twitter?'
By following someone's Tweets, and they following yours, you quickly get an idea whether you're likely to be on the same wavelength. Personally, I want to do business with, and work with, people I can get on with. And I'd be impressed if I was ever approached by a freelancer who demonstrated an understanding of the social web, and Twitter in particular (it hasn't happened yet though.) In fact, just seeing someone's Twitter homepage tells me plenty about a person. For example:
- Their profile pic - is it the default 'anonymous'? A cartoon or joky image? A realistic-looking headshot?
- The background - a Twitter background? Or, if their background is their own, what does it depict?
- Their last 20 updates - have they been interacting with others? Who? Is there variety in the content & tone of voice? Are they genuine, honest exchanges?
Obviously there's a learning curve which everyone goes through - I doubt my first tweets set the world on fire, and it was a long time before I started experimenting with customised backgrounds. But first impressions are strong. Recruiters are already inspecting applicants' Facebook pages and Twitter pages will no doubt be next.
I don't think there's anything sinister in two people following each other on Twitter in order to get a feel for each other's working style and personality - a kind of 'try before you buy' period. You're not just looking at how the person interacts with you, but with others also. And even if neither 'buys', they may still develop a mutual respect which can lead to fruitful collaborations, contacts and opportunities which otherwise would not happen.
The beauty of Twitter is that it isn't just another form of online networking. By sharing the minutiae of our daily lives as well as the business-like stuff, I think meaningful bonds develop more quickly. The trivia is the social glue - rather like the chats in the kitchen or round the photocopier at work - and with constant exposure, the 'getting to know you' process appears to be accelerated.
What do you think? Would you ever say to a potential business contact 'let's get to know each other for a while on Twitter, and see how we get on?'
