This Twitter interaction happened hours before I even met Richard Boehmcke. Somehow fate (or in our case, social media) was telling us we would be friends.

So what happens when first meetings, like in the case with Richard, take place even before you get the first handshake? There are countless people I’ve met online before in person (and so many more that online is all we’ve got). 

I’ve written about first impressions before and I still believe a lot goes into making a good one. These are the four key components I believe make a great first impression: 

-Strong handshake

-Solid eye contact 

-Something to share

-Something to ask

When it comes to social media introductions the first two relate to how attentive and engaged you are with the meeting. Consider your best conversations. All a good conversation takes is having a topic you want to share and being genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. 

During introductions what catches your attention?