I’ve been haunted by the term, “stranger network,” which I came across in the transcript of a recent PRSA digital conference. Tom Smith, Founder and Director at Trendstream, a digital consulting firm based in London, was the author of the a presentation he gave called “How Did We Come to Trust Strangers?” You can listen to an audio of the presentation athttp://bit.ly/18nh7l. But his remarks led to an “a ha” that made me want to share them with others. In his new perspective on the world:
1) We trust total and complete strangers
2) Strangers drive our knowledge, ideas and decisions
Just think about that a minute and examine your own recent relationships. How did you connect? Have you met them? I’m now taking a 12-week webinar course led by a woman I have never met, who was recommended by a colleague who has never met her. I’ve never met the consultant who works with me on my website/blog. Yet they both have become important people in my life. Another consultant friend works with a virtual assistant half way across the country — they were working together for 10 years and had never met. Then the VA planned a trip to New York and they finally sat down face to face. Guess what? It was a totally awkward conversation and they found they had almost nothing to say to each other outside of their virtual connection.
Who are the strangers you trust? Do you exchange meaningful information? Have you ever been let down, disappointed, betrayed?
As a Virtual Assistant, I work with clients that I have never met – I agree with the experience in your post – meeting them may be awkward. Some people think it is strange but it is probably the way of the future for business. I’ve connected with these clients in a number of ways – via an ad in a print directory, through my website or by referral from another client. The level of trust is amazing; they trust that I will get their work completed and I trust that they will pay me. So far not one of us has let the other down.