With Apologies to Pete Seeger: Turn, Turn, Turn (Your Cell Phone Off)!

Texting during a business meeting? Miss Manners would not appove.

You?ve been looking forward to having lunch with a friend or colleague you haven?t seen in a long time, and he or she will not part with his or her cell phone. You attempt to engage in a conversation, but he or she is too distracted by his or her smart phone to bother. Suddenly, you feel like you are dining alone (or competing with the cell phone for attention?!).

Check, please.

Cell phones are a great invention and can be wonderful communications tool. One device enables you to make phone calls, text clients (if they are amenable to this form of communication), check and send email, check your Facebook page, Tweet, browse the Web, etc. It can, however, become easy to ?hide? behind our Android and Blackberry phones and neglect the importance of actually talking to someone face-to-face.

Connecting with people is one of the foundations of having a successful business. If you are too busy texting while meeting with someone,??you give the impression that the person?s time is not as important as yours, and you may appear to be self-absorbed.

Non-verbal communication is an important part of conversations. Facial expressions (raised eyebrows, smiles or frowns, etc.)) can give many clues as to how, for example, a current or potential client might be feeling about an idea or thought you are trying to convey. It?s hard to see these when you are distracted by an email you are trying to send or if you are busy updating your Facebook page.

Put the ?social? back in ?social media? and get out there. Just remember to please put your cell phone away.

Source: http://www.blaescommunications.com/2012/08/889/

kim zolciak kim zolciak quinton coples a.j. jenkins riley reiff david decastro travis pastrana