Hi, my name is Scott Allen and I’ve been helping people transform virtual relationships into real business since 2002. I love technology, but not for its own sake — I love to see it transform people’s businesses, lives and communities when used effectively. I occasionally speak, write and work with a few select companies toward that goal. Contact me if you’d like to talk about hiring me or collaborating.I’m also a dad, a husband and grandfather of five. I love movies, music, cooking, MMOs, physics, poetry, economics, politics, entrepreneurship and Austin, Texas, all of which I may occasionally write about.
Social Media Is My Middle Name
That’s a bold claim, and I’m sure there are some who will doubt me on that. I’m perhaps not the most famous social media expert, but as Will Rogers said, “It ain’t braggin’ if you done it.”
- I taught my first seminar about online networking in December 2002 in Houston, Texas. Since then, I have given dozens of seminars and classes on the topic to several thousand people. Past event sponsors and clients include Microsoft, LinkedIn, Wachovia, ERE Media, Human Capital Institute, Business Development Institute, American Marketing Association, ExecuNet, Electronic Retailing Association and more.
- Launched in March 2003, The Virtual Handshake Blog (formerly OnlineBusinessNetworks.com) is one of the longest-running blogs on the business use of social media and social networking.
- My first article about the topic for a major publication, “Online networking entering flow of mainstream business methods”, was published in Houston Business Journal and syndicated to American City Business Journals in September 2003. LinkedIn was barely two months old. Since then, I’ve been a regular monthly columnist for FastCompany.com and been published or quoted in dozens of other publications, including ABCNews.com, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CFO Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Sales and Marketing Management, Networking Times, Southwest Airlines Spirit, Worth and more.
- Our e-book, The 5 Keys to Building Business Relationships Online, was published in October 2003 and was the first on the topic of online networking (so far as I know).
- The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, was published in August 2005, and was the first book on the topic of online business relationships. Because it focused on communication skills and business strategies rather than technology, the book remains a timeless guide for virtual networking for professionals.
For my complete professional history, come visit me on LinkedIn. To connect with me or read my content elsewhere on the web, check out the links at the bottom of every page – fresh content from my various social media points of presence, including:
