Violet Blue
When we attend a social media conference like SXSW, we all want to meet the rock stars. Let’s face it, we would like to know them so we can leverage what they have with what we have.
When I attended the “How Not to be a Douche Bag” at SXSW, one of the panel leaders was Violet Blue. She is a Forbes “Web Celeb” and one of Wired’s “Faces of Innovation.” She is one of the foremost experts in the field of sex and technology, a sex-positive pundit in mainstream media. Violet Blue next appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show on March 25.
She gave tips on how to meet people like her:
1. Violet: Overwhelm them with your passion.
Me: Be passionate about what you do and how what you are interested in connects with what they do.
2. Violet: Acknowledge you are asking for someone to leverage their social capital.
Me: Acknowledge that you are asking for a favor or help. Call out the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
3. Violet: Rent on the internet can be paid in compliments.
Me: I especially love this one. A bit of kindness and sincere compliments can go a long way.
What tips do you have for meeting social media rock stars?
Barry
Fun article. My tips, firstly develop a relationship with them. Don’t expect it to happen at the first meeting if you have never been in touch with them before. Be aware of what’s happening with them, if they have a book out, read it. If they write a blog, read it. Really read. Don’t just quote something from the first 8 pages.
I put together my tips for doing just this at SXSW here – http://www.theincslingers.com/2010/03/how-to-meet-influencers-at-sxswi/
Simon, great comments. We all need to realize that relationships grow slowly over a period of time.
[…] * My presentation at SXSW was a Miss Manners for the social media generation, networkers and geeks — you can read about How Not To Be A D-bag at SXSW on Ed Hunsinger’s blog (he ran the panel). In it, I also explained how to meet people you want to connect with, how to do it in a way that will make people like you. It worked for Barry J. Moltz who summed it up in 3 Ways to Meet Social Media Rock Stars Like Violet Blue. […]