Networking on The Web and Phone
A new technology consulting company, Blitz Innovations, has launched a speed networking site, BlitzTime, that allows people to join a "Blitz" speed networking session from the comfort of their own office.  First, you create a profile which tells the other people in the Blitz about you.  When it's time for your Blitz you sign onto the computer and call into the phone number provided.  When you are connected to your first call, you will see a timer appear in the upper right hand corner telling you how much time you have left with this person (usually 5-7 minutes) and their profile appears on your screen and yours appears on theirs so that you have details about each other to discuss. 

Focused, Efficient Networking - No Wasted Time
The shortness of the duration of the call keeps people focused on finding ways to connect their businesses, so callers report that they find the calls to be really efficient ways to communicate.  Plus, there's no awkwardness that comes in live networking sessions as you try to start a conversation or extricate yourself from one that has gone on too long.  Here, everyone knows who they are talking to and for how long.  If you find that more conversation is warranted, you can look up the person's contact information on their profile and call or email to arrange a longer conversation later. 

Why Do It?
The company's cofounder, Jeff D'Urso, says that he created the company because he saw the need for a new way to network.  "I spent a lot of my networking time fighting traffic and paying for parking only to talk to the same people over and over again.  I knew there had to be a better way to get my networking done." I'm sure this scenario sounds familiar to you too.  The best part is that you can network not only with local people, but also with people around the country or around the world.  I've even heard of some people doing a family reunion in this way.  They thought it would be awkward, but it actually kept people focused and reduced the time spent in awkwardness after the intial updates had been done. 

I'm Hosting a Blitz!
Come brainstorm with us!  I'll be hosting a Real Estate brainstorming session on December 3 at 2-3pm EST.  You can call in from anywhere around the country to joint his Blitz and participate in brainstorming the best new ideas for getting business in today's market.  BUT - YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE!!! You'll need to get your user name and password and your profile set up so that you can put your best foot forward when the time comes to Blitz (and include a link to your website to improve your SEO even more!).  So take a few minutes NOW to get that done and RSVP for the event.  We're only going to have limited space for people to talk, so you'll want to get in early.   Don't wait!  Sign Up Now and then RSVP for my event!

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Kelle Sparta is the author of The Consultative Real Estate Agent - Building Relationships that Create Loyal Clients, Get More Referrals, and Increase Your Sales, as well as being a speaker and trainer specializing in the real estate industry. Kelle is the founder of Sparta Success Systems, a real estate training company that provides products, coaching and training to empower agents and brokers to create lives and businesses they can love. For more information, visit her website at http://www.spartasuccess.com/. © 2008, Kelle Sparta.