Really old guy: Social networking is good for business
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Harvey Mackay, the famous businessman and author, was born in 1932 — 76 years ago. But despite being one year older than the chocolate chip cookie, this guy knows the true power of social networking.
One of Harvey’s great contributions to the business world is the Mackay 66, a tool that helps salespeople, managers and other business types “outsell, outmanage, outmotivate and outnegotiate our competitors.” It’s a form that asks for 66 pieces of information about a person with whom you’re starting to build a relationship — information about their education, family, business background, special interests, lifestyle and relationship with you.
Sound familiar? Well, among other things, these little tidbits are a lot like the information on your Facebook profile. Or that you share in your daily Twittering. Or that you write about on your personal blog.
Sure, some social media efforts are tied directly to sales, but in most cases, “doing social media” means having more chances to interact with people, to build relationships, to make connections in ways that weren’t likely or possible ever before. When you know what makes a person tick, what sports team she roots for or what school his kid goes to, you have the material with which you can begin to build a relationship.
Relationships and personal connections are what make the world go around. The desire to connect is natural and immutable, and it has little to do with technology. Social networking is in our blood; technology just breaks down barriers of space and time.
I must give credit for this concept to my boss (he hates it when I call him that), Albert Maruggi. During a presentation on “thinking different” and using social media earlier this week, he made the connection between the venerable Mackay 66 and a Facebook profile. I’ve merely put more meat on the bone for this post.
