Member Avatar for MktgRob

In the past and currently I have set up user groups events and roundtable meetings where a group of partners come together to discuss business with the manufacturer and offer adivce and input.

These are both affective ways to get facetime with your clients and gathering business intelligence. Will the prevalence of social media do away with these tools? I for one hope not.

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Good question and a useful tension between formats. has run the in-person models that build fast trust; points out that platforms can scale and keep conversations alive. Both are right. The practical answer is not "one replaces the other" but "blend them so each does what it does best."

Here are immediate, actionable design choices to apply now:

  • Define the primary outcome before you choose format (relationship building, strategic input, product feedback, or closed negotiation).
  • Keep discussion groups small when you need depth (rough guideline: 8–12). Use larger online channels for breadth and continuous input.
  • Use pre-work (short surveys, issue briefs) so live time is focused on interpretation and decisions.
  • Use video for sessions where body language and tone matter; add facilitated breakout rooms to recreate side conversations.
  • Make decisions auditable: publish minutes, assign owners, set deadlines and show progress in a shared action log.
  • Schedule periodic in-person touchpoints (even short meetups) to re-establish rapport; use the online community for follow-up and accountability.

Governance and measurement are critical: require clear confidentiality rules where needed, rotate membership to avoid groupthink, and measure value with concrete metrics (participant satisfaction, actions completed, ideas implemented). For vendors and platforms, pilot before wide rollout and keep facilitation neutral so the conversation stays useful.

Summary: design each meeting around the outcome, combine in-person for trust and online for continuity, and enforce simple governance so hybrid programs produce real business impact.

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Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

Well actually, there are many companies that are currently either doing this already or are searching/vetting for the right vendor to provide these services. Communispace does something similar but for consumers but I have discovered other vendors that does it for B2B clients.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

Well actually, there are many companies that are currently either doing this already or are searching/vetting for the right vendor to provide these services. Communispace does something similar but for consumers but I have discovered other vendors that does it for B2B clients.

The communispace idea is compelling but I think that if we keep pushing more and more of our interactions with our customers and partners into cyberspace we are going to lose another aspect of personal interaction that is vital to doing business. I guess I am old school.

Member Avatar for InsightsDigital

I totally agree. The missing factor is the non-verbal communication. Sales people definitely tap to this to make their sales.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

I totally agree. The missing factor is the non-verbal communication. Sales people definitely tap to this to make their sales.

And beyond the non-verbal communication there is something else that is lacking, not only in gotomeeting sessions but in all aspects of online communities is the simple act of shaking someone's hand and looking them in the eye when an agreement is made. There is an old saying that "A man's word is his bond" that I would hate to see morph into "A man's emoticon is his bond!"

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