From the Desk Of Stompernet University

So STOP GETTING LINKS...

"...and START BUILDING CONNECTIONS!

When "tribes" form on the web, they do so more or less to gather
around a theme, or topic, or idea.  They gather to talk about it and
collect links to resources that are of common interest.

Your goal is to find and participate in those conversations. 

Contribute and provide REAL value, and in the process, you'll
garner attention to yourself.  Of course, you can then use that
attention to get traffic to your sites, get subscribers to your lists,
get readers for your blog, etc.

What will happen is that you don't just become a participant in these
conversations.  If you provide real value, and solid resources to these
tribes, you will become a TOPIC of conversation.  Members of your
chosen tribe will talk about YOU, and talk about YOUR resources. "

-source email from stompernet

This is what Stompernet University says. And it has a lot of merit.
For long term success in this new age, it is important that we
control the urge to just sell, sell, sell.

Let's take time out to get to know each other. Remember before
you came to the internet you were a whole person. A person
with passions, likes, dislikes, favorite past time and activities.

This is how you put the fun back in to the process. Besides that
you may learn something helpful. I had an awesome experience
yesterday.

I went to this Beginning Beekeeping Class. I was at this table and
I was having this conversation with to Environmental Chemist. One
was a Libertarian. Now my political background is Communist/
Democrat.

Had I met this couple before I had been working with my BlendTalk
Radio, the conversation would have been ruined by my overbearing
"You have to see things my way!" style. What happened was that I
was able to listen to what the people were saying, and then I was able
to ask question directing the conversation to grounds which were more
acceptable to me.

It was a truly amazing when the young lady came back to the table and
started asking my advice on relationships. She complement me on my
ability to casually converse and direct with non-threating, yet very
leading questions.

She had told me that she had been looking for a mate, but she was
constantly driving them off with her driving inquisition style questioning.
She admired the way was able to gently acquire more information and
smoothly keep accord or move to common ground.

I was blown away. The point of it all is that it is in the seeking that we find.
Questions are a great way to get a person to open up to you. And I don't
mean, sales pitch leading questions. I'm talking about questions where you
have genuine desire to find the answer.

I was on ... Oh I'll save that story for another post. You can also keep up with
me at Twitter or Snapvine.