Networking Comment

June 24th, 2005

My comment on “Social Networking: Broken, Boring, or Offtrack?” on Corante I can understand the dissatisfaction with social networking. What I do not understand is the dissatisfaction with business networking sites – specifically LinkedIn and openBC. Much has been written about social networking sites but very few articles / blog posts differentiate between the “business” and the “social”.

I personally, as an avid networker on openBC [ more than 1200 professionals on my network ] and LinkedIn [ more than 450 professionals on my network ] have not only connected with “strangers” who helped me get a job, but I have also done business with professionals half-way across the globe. I have actually made money on business networking sites and know lots of others who have done the same. I have been on other social networking sites and have effectively discontinued my membership to them because they did not add any value whatsoever.

But the same is not true of Business Networking portals and the only two I know of, which deliver what they proclaim are openBC and LinkedIn.

openBC offers features unparalleled by any other portal and the contention that traditional face-to-face networking suffices for your business needs only says that you are happy living in the status quo. Why would any business that wants to grow and create a presence [ why should that onus lie only on large "MNC's"? ] limit itself to “local” potential clients when at a very nominal fee they can connect with literally anyone they want to from anywhere in the world!

Entry Filed under: networking success