Relationships through “Three Cups of Tea”
Posted on | February 9, 2009 | 1 Comment
If you have not taken the time to read this fabulous book then stop what you are doing and fit it in. I will be going over different aspects of this book over the next few posts but i really wanted to bring out one aspect that hit me on the head over the weekend.
The conversation moving towards Web 2.0 (I hate that name) is all about relationships and having a conversation. The books talks about a deeper relationship and I contend this is really the value of where the Internet is moving. In the book Greg Mortenson (a REAL American hero) finds out about relationships and I quote, “The first time you share a cup of tea with a Balti (the area of Pakistan Greg starts out in) you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family,….”
While the tools of the Internet allow us to begin to have realtionships by making it easier to find those who have things in common with us – many never take the time to really have a cup of tea. It is not easy but possible.Are we all that shallow?
I have asked numerous folks, how do you make money with the new Internet and the answer all along is the method or process not the medium. The medium facilitates an introduction – there is no promise of a relationship or even the first cup of tea. We must find the time and more importantly the manner in which we can take our common interests further into the realm of a cup of tea – the first cup and yes the second cup. You don’t buy anything from folks you do not trust and trust can only come with time and affiliation.
I don believe you can have that first cup at least virtually but at some point if the relationship makes sense you need to meet and have that second cup.
How many folks have you met online and never bothered to have a cup of tea with?
I have clients who I have never met in person and the relationship only goes so far – they might have a need big enough for them to buy, but will they really be a partner or just stay as a client. We like all of our clients to be partners but those we have not met – real tough to do.
How are you having your virtual cup of tea with folks?
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March 15th, 2009 @ 2:28 am
I admit I use to be guilty of using social networks to “meet” new people, but I never seemed to find the time to have that cup of tea with them…I think because teh internet has so much to offer, we tend to concentrate on quantity instead of quality.
Just think of that person with over 500 “friends” on Facebook. Are those really friends? NO. So what’s the point of even having offer to be friends in the first place?
So now I do not even bother with social networks – I just do not have the time…except for my friends of course