I have fully embraced all things Twitter. It has been a fun way to stay in touch with friends and colleagues and it has been a fabulous networking tool. For those not familiar with the technology, I highly recommend Michael Hyatt’s posts, 12 Reasons to Start Twittering and The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter. He shares the basics on why and how to get started.
But, there is one aspect of Twitter that I really struggle with – the awkward introduction…
An Awkward Introduction
Let me explain, currently I am “following” 906 and have 848 “followers.” I would estimate that I only have had face-to-face interaction with 5% of each group. The other 95% are strangers in almost every sense of the word. But they are strangers who are constantly updating me on their day-to-day activities, their businesses, and their families. And conversely, they are strangers who know what I am reading and what I ate for dinner. They are strangers, yet both friends and confidantes.
So what happens when these strange friends walk into your life off-line? Earlier this week, I attended Catalyst One Day in Atlanta and met face-to-face several folks I follow on Twitter, including Tony Morgan, Kendra Fleming, and Ben Arment. And I was awkward!
I am not a shy person, but there is something just plain odd about meeting someone for the first time, when you already feel connected to them. What social rules apply in this situation?
So fellow-twitterers who have more social grace than I…how do you handle these awkward introductions?
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