Face to Face

I am on LinkedIn (Alice Stelzer), Twitter (acscwp) and Facebook (Alice Plouchard Stelzer) - a Facebook fan page in the works - and I have this blog. This is what the experts say I need to do to promote my writing, especially when my first book, Herstory, Stories of the Women of East Haddam through the Centuries, comes out.

One promotional method that is not talked about very much anymore is the glad hand “How are you doing” networking gathering.

I recently attended the annual Women Business Owners Alliance of Western Massachusetts’ (WBOA) (wboa.org) Business Women of the Year dinner. Some years ago (we will not talk about how many), I was the president of WBOA and also honored to be the recipient of their “Business Woman of the Year” award one year.

Due to the distance (CT to MA) gas prices, and my busy schedule, I have not attended meetings in quite some time but this meeting reminded me of why groups like WBOA are so important and should be as much a part of our promotional routine as the online social networks.

When I arrived at the WBOA dinner, I was remembered, greeted, hugged and told, “We are so happy you came.” 

Listening to the accomplishments of the individuals who received various awards during the evening left me awestruck. These women are involved in incredible endeavors and making strides every day to make the world a better place. While they are doing all this, they are taking care of families.

Dee Emery Ferraro, who received the “Business Woman of the Year” award, at the meeting is one example. I was fortunate to have Dee as an employee a few years ago when I was publishing Women Unlimited Magazine. I know what a hard worker and creative thinker she is. Listening to what she has accomplished since she worked for me astounded me. I know for a fact she does not sleep.

They also presented awards to Janine Fondon of Unity First Direct and ten “Pioneer Valley’s Top Women in Business.” It was wonderfully uplifting to hear the success stories of these women. I left that meeting feeling as if I could take on the world. 

I believe in all the social media circuit of connections but no tweet, status update or comment on my blog could empower me the way these women did.

Therefore, do your tweets, status updates, connections, emails and blogs but also get out and press some flesh.