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Virtual Accountability Partners

Guest post by: Denise Griffitts

Article Overview: In this world of online living, meeting friends – or even mates – online is no longer outside the mainstream. We make little distinction between online buddies and those who live across the street. And we often feel more connected to these virtual friends than we do with the people we encounter in person. It makes sense to reach out to your online connections when looking for an accountability partner.

Virtual Accountability Partners

In this world of online living, meeting friends - or even mates - online is no longer outside the mainstream. We make little distinction between online buddies and those who live across the street. And we often feel more connected to these virtual friends than we do with the people we encounter in person. It makes sense to reach out to your online connections when looking for an accountability partner. Here are some points to consider:

Pros: Teaming up with a "virtual" partner is the ultimate in convenience. You don't have to live near each other - or even in the same time zone - so your pool of potential partners is almost limitless. Also, you can keep your conversations very targeted, and thereby cut down on the amount of time it takes to connect. If you correspond via e-mail, you can catch up when it's convenient for you, and not have to worry about coordinating schedules.

Cons: The anonymity of the internet means that people aren't always what they present themselves to be (just ask anyone who's gone on a date with someone they've met via on online dating service!). Your 45-year-old marketing specialist could turn out to be a 12-year-old wunderkind with a laptop and too much spare time. Or worse, your accountability partner may have claimed to be making a certain amount online and so you take his or her advice - not knowing that she's stretched the truth considerably and is really only making pennies. Also, connecting virtually makes it easier to drop the ball; the guilt for taking an extra day or two to respond to an email is nothing compared to standing your partner up for your weekly coffee meeting.

Suggestions: The best way to protect yourself and make sure your partnership is a successful one is to really get to know your partner. Pick someone you've had a positive relationship with for a while, hopefully even someone who you've met in person at a seminar or conference, rather than hooking up with someone unknown. You're going to be sharing details about your life and your business with this person, so take the time to establish a preliminary level of trust before baring your soul. You might even consider getting recommendations from some of the people they've worked with before or have known for a while. It may sound like overkill, but the risk is high enough to make the extra diligence worthwhile.

Finding an accountability partner online is extremely common and has proven successful for many marketers. It's so easy to connect with people of a similar mindset that you probably already have several potential partners in your immediate online circle already.

Stay tuned for the rest of this article which has of necessity been broken into a series:

1. Accountability Partners For Internet Marketers

2. Setting up An Accountability Partnership

3. Live and In Person: Setting up an "IRL" Accountability Partner

4. Virtual Accountability Partners

5. Mentoring Partnerships

6. The More the Merrier? Partners versus Groups

7. Five Tips for Great Accountability Partnerships

8. Trouble-shooting Your Accountability Partners

9. Online Resources For Accountability Partners

10. Next Steps In Your Accountability Partnership

11. Conclusion

Related Articles
  Accountability Partnerships Series Conclusion
  Live and In Person: Setting Up an "IRL" Accountability Partner
  Setting up An Accountability Partnership
  Accountability Partners Versus Groups
  Online Resources For Accountability Partners
  Accountability Mentoring Partnerships
  Next Steps In Your Accountability Partnership
  Trouble-shooting Your Accountability Partnership
  Five Tips for Great Accountability Partnerships
  Accountability Partners For Internet Marketers
  Building Supportive Relationships with Accountability Partners
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  What Is A Virtual Assistant Business
  A culture of accountability is the key to business and organisational success
  The Need for a Virtual Assistant Association
  What to Give the Exec Who Has Everything
  Improving a Business Through Masterminding
  Profit Growth Strategy #7 for Virtual Assistants
  Five Ingredients For Virtual Success
  A Virtual Switchboard

Article Tags: accountability buddies, accountability coach, accountability mentoraccountability partners, accountability partner, accountability partners, denise griffitts, internet marketers, online connections, virtual assistance industry expert
Referred by: http://www.onlinebizu.com



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