The Great Friend Experiment



Jun 14, 2022

I’ve had soooo many new friend requests over the past two weeks on Facebook. What I find interesting is that only a handful of these people reached out to actually be a ‘friend’.

I accepted some of these friend requests after looking at their profiles, seeing that we had mutual friends in common, and thinking that they seemed like someone I might friend in real life. (Don’t worry, I don’t just accept friend requests from anyone…plus I knew there was something going on in one of the business groups I’m in that spurred this.)

Others are still hanging out there. They haven’t taken the time to even begin to connect with me.

Still others sent me a cold pitch right away and I deleted them, because they weren’t even interested in learning anything about me to even know if I fit their ideal client or not…they didn’t seem to really care.

And then there are the times I am on the reaching-out end. The times when I reach out because I thought they sounded interesting. Maybe I knew that they did something business-wise or do-good-wise and I wanted to talk with them about it. I wanted to learn more. I wanted to think there could really be potential for a real friendship, even if I didn’t take the first step. (And if I did initiate it I tried to start a genuine conversation to get to know the person more. I truly believe in forming relationships in business, not just business relationships.)

So back to my story…

I accepted some of these requests and waited for them to start the conversation (because that’s what I do when I try to start a relationship.)

And… nothing.

Others I waited and then reached out with a simple ‘hello’ after a few days. Others I’m just waiting on to see what happens next.

This whole ‘experiment’ is interesting to me because I wonder, if this was real life, would I be making friends this way? I think to a certain extent *maybe* I would…depending on the situation in which I met them. I mean, its hard to make friends as a mom, so sometimes you take a chance and it turns into something wonderful, BFFs for life…

I’m curious if you are experiencing this ‘new’ way of starting conversations in the DMs by way of friend requests (as so many coaches are teaching these days.) Is there a science to it? Do you enjoy it? Is it working for you? Is this part of a larger strategy that some are missing out on executing?

← Prev

Hello! I’m Tricia, and I help consultants and coaches get online with websites that aren’t only great to look at, but that reflect the quality service you provide and get you booked!

If you like this post you might like…

4 Ways Tiny Houses are Like Websites

I love watching shows about tiny houses. And the more I watch, the more I realize tiny houses are like strategic websites, at least in my web designer mind. Mainly, if built well, they are both created with a whole lot of strategy. I love the idea of living in a tiny...

Do I Need a Website?

You might be thinking that if you have an Instagram page you don't need a website. Or if you've got a Facebook page, you're probably pretty good. Or a strong referral network because you’ve worked with a lot of clients that love you. In your mind a website just...

It’s About the Ripple Effect

Summary: I create professional websites for consultants and coaches who want to make an impact on the world. I love being part of the ripple effect...helping you by creating a website to help you attract those you can best help. Have you ever watched a ripple on a...

Always Behind the Scenes

I've always been a 'behind the scenes' worker. In school I'd be on a team for group assignments contributing in my quiet way with great final projects. All of my previous jobs were supporting others to accomplish their goals or objectives. Taking customer orders via...

Be Vulnerable

So there I found myself, live in front of my peers feeling super vulnerable. The coach was taking us through a planning exercise and I was feeling super stuck, so I private messaged her my frustration thinking she’d simply reply in kind (privately).It all ended up...