Online chats has become one of the more popular ways for work at home moms to network online. I have enjoyed attending and participating in online chats and have met a lot of interesting wahms. Below are some tips I want to share to help you make the most of online chats.

1) If you are in the online chat and your purpose is just to chat and network, have a short introduction typed up and saved in your notepad - that way, you can just "cut and paste" instead of spending time typing it over and over. Your introduction should include your name, business name, URL or website address and a short tag line or description of what it is exactly that you do.

Example: Hi, my name is Marie - I own a mom friendly site - Mommy Community - http://www.mommycommunity.com - it is an online resource site for busy moms.

2) If you are hosting or conducting the chat, make sure to be prepared. Have any topics, issues, and/or questions typed up and saved in a document or notepad as well so that you can just "cut and paste". You do not waste time doing some unnecessary typing during the chat. This way too, the chat goes on more smoothly and there is no "down time".

3) When preparing notes for the chat, minimize each entry to about 3 sentences. It is a lot easier in the eyes. Participants of the chat will not feel overwhelmed with the information you are providing.

4) Make sure to provide your URL or website address and short business description and/or any specials you may have at least 2-3 times during the entire chat to make sure that all participants catch your information.

5) It is so easy to take notes during the chat. You do not even need pen and paper. Simply "right click" in your chat screen, then click on "select all", then "save as" - whatever you want to call this file and save it in whatever folder you want to save it in your computer. This way you are able to go back for all or any information that you missed - know though that you are only able to save chat from the time you enter the chat room to the time that you "right click" on your chat screen.

6) If the chat is informational and there is an expert leading the chat, wait until the end of the lecture/session before you ask questions. They will usually provide enough time for questions. This way too, the chat is not interrupted.

7) After the chat, it would be nice to email other chat participants or even the host and just thank them, follow up or touch base with them. This way you remain fresh in their minds and leave a positive impression. I hope these tips prove to be helpful to you on your next online chat. If you have any questions regarding online chats, feel free to email me at marie@Mommycommunity.com .

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marie Ynami is a work at home mom of 3 from California. She runs a few mom friendly sites. Her main site is MommyCommunity.com - an online resources site for the busy mom. She also offers a free chat room for any wahm who may need it for an online party, informational chat or open recruitment. Feel free to use this article in your newsletter or website provided that you include this information with the article.
© 2004,Marie Ynami
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