Open your ears and shut your mouth: lessons from social media

Let’s start with an excellent example from Facebook!

Friend 1: Hey everybody, I’m looking for nice silk flowers! Anyone know where I can find some pretty ones?

Stupid answer #1) Real flowers are so much nicer!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! If I ever catch you doing this as an entrepreneur I will slap you!

Friend 2: who knows some good mediation CDs?

Stupid answer #2: google it!

Really? Because I didn’t know you could do that on the Internet!

If you really want to be helpful online please for the love of God take the time to ask yourself the following question. ” Is this useful to the person I am taking the time to answer? Or am I just trying to fill up space?”

If you believe that you are being helpful please do so. However, to do so you must be answering the question and not some variation there of!

These two examples are both people attempting to use social searches to fill a lack of knowledge they have a question to witch they want their friends and social peers advice! They do not want:
-Your criticism for their choices!
-Your advice on how to automate the process!
-A joke at their expense that belittles them!

So as a person and perhaps as an entrepreneur or business person please think, are you listening or just talking, before you type!