In reply to Talia from Sparkeo.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here, Talia. I find that online isn't that different from face to face. If I know you then I'll be more receptive to what you have to say. That means engaging in conversations that interest both of us. For instance, I met Dave Wilkins online through discussions on social learning. Later, I asked what he did and he told me about Mzinga. I actually asked for a product demo. Dave now works at Learn.com and I would be comfortable learning more about their products from Dave because I trust him and I know that he respects my opinion. It's not a pitch; we're sharing.

What's the best way to pitch to me? Don't. Like you, I'm not interested in unsolicited offers. However, if you follow my online conversations there may be an opportunity to talk about your product "in context". I find out about products from many sources, mostly third-party reviewers. I have an interest in products for myself and for my clients but I don't want to get too deep unless I have an actual client with a current need. I know that I can make one blog post asking for information about a good tool that does XYZ and I will get a lot of information and perspective from my network. Because I can pull information as I need it, I don't need it pushed to me.