Twitter for Lawyers: Building Business Relationships

You can improve your ability to build meaningful business relationships on Twitter.  I’d like to introduce you to my new role model, Dan Churchill @netbizdan.  Dan is different.  He has a pay-it-forward approach to Twitter; it all starts with the “follow.”

As you begin to build your network on Twitter by following others, you’ll also be building followers.  Managing Twitter can get overwhelming the more deeply you become involved. Desktop tools, gadgets, and mobile apps are available to help you manage various aspects of your online life.  On Twitter, some people use apps for sending auto-responses via direct messaging to new people who follow them. I don’t use one, but many people do.

In my opinion, auto-response messages are rarely sincere in effect and some are down right offensive.  If you’re unfamiliar with auto-respond direct messages, here’s a quick look at how people are using them.

Twitter Auto-Responses:

• Many just say, “thanks for the follow.” ( Very benign, polite, but immediately forgotten.)
• Some include a link to their business Web site. (Ho hum. Maybe I care, maybe I don’t.)
• Some suggest joining them on Facebook or LinkedIn. (Interesting approach to network building. But not now. Let me get to know you a little better via your Tweets.)
• Some tell you about their services. (Thank you, but I know how to find you.)
• Some are blatant marketing messages with sales pitches, links to products they are shilling. I really dislike those and sometimes I will block those people from my stream. I don’t even know you yet and you are trying to get my money?

Here are three  auto responses I received last week.

Meet Dan Churchill.

Last week I also received a VERY DIFFERENT type of response from someone I added to my follow list: Dan Churchill @netbizdan. It was so effective. It blew me away and made me say out loud, aw shucks, why I didn’t think of that!

@NetBizDan sent a message into the public stream to thank me @jaynenavarre for the follow AND he included a link to MY WEBSITE and a few words about ME from my Twitter bio! What a genius.

Just to repeat: Dan, who I previously did not know or trust, sent MY Twitter name/address and a link to MY business website onto the public time line, to all of his followers, and for anyone who searches for me @jaynenavarre to see. How nice is that. Thanks DAN!

I’m looking forward to getting to know @NetBizDan better.  (And who were those other people who DM’d my inbox with their marketing spam? Totally forgettable!)

Dan doesn’t need to shout about what he does. Actions speak louder than words.  This small gesture shows me how good he is at what he does.  I hope I can refer him some business!

Who is Dan Churchill?

…..Dan is ABOUT:

AdWords PPC & Internet Business Development for B2B, Franchise, Legal, Healthcare & Automotive.  His business website is: netbizconcepts.com

Follow-management-tools.

If you’re still interested in setting up some follow-management-tools, there are dozens of apps available to help you manage your Twitter stream on the Twitter Fan Wiki under the Follow Management apps.

What interesting “follow” stories do you have? How do you deepen relationships using Twitter?

And, @heathermilligan, it hurts to say it, but, good luck in the series! #dodgers. Too bad the Birds played like the Cubs!