Networking Virus

Did you spread or catch a virus at your networking meeting?

If I have a cold or the flu I can give it to you by touching you. Shaking hands is enough to spread the common cold or the uncommon flu.

If I cough in your direction would you be offended? You would be justified because many viruses are airborne.

You probably don’t want my disease. You might be annoyed if I was aware of my disease and still spread it to you. You probably know that carriers of AIDS can be criminally charged for having unprotected sex. Spreading colds and flu might not be a criminal offense yet but many of us could act more responsibly.

We know how colds and other viruses are spread but people still spread them.

At a national conference I observed:

An individual vigorously shake hands with everyone at our table then mention that he had a bad cold. Why didn’t he simply announce his cold and not shake hands? We would have understood and appreciated his thoughtfulness. Instead he demonstrated how thoughtless he was.

The president of the association coughed into his right hand – the one he shakes other victims’ hands with. Did he cough because he had a cold? Did he wash or sanitize his right hand before shaking hands with others?

The presenter coughed into his right hand several times during his presentation and mentioned that his voice was bad because he had a cold. Then this sick presenter shook hands with many of the attendees after his presentation. How sick is that?

We know that rats spread the plague. We know the results of SARS. We know the annual effects of colds and flus.

If you have a communicable disease, don’t shake my hand. I won’t be offended. But if you shake my hand when you knowingly are incubating a virus, that would enrage me.
 

After attending a networking event at which some speakers clearly complained about their cold I suffered the ravages of a bad cold over the next few weeks on my European vacation. Those sick people spread their germs before and after their speech. Thank you very much!

Rats spread the plague because they didn't know any better. What’s your excuse?

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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