Do you remember Malcolm Gladwells book, The Tipping Point? It was written almost 10 years ago. Amazingly prophetic. Written before Social Networks and the term “Viral” was ubiquitous, Gladwell gave us the roadmap on how ideas, trends and messages spread like “viruses” do.

Social Media, Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 have taken this idea to a new level. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Blogs, and the rest are high-powered engines accelerating Tipping Points.

In Gladwells world, I’ve come to realize I’m a ConnectSalesman. Gladwell says there are 3 types of people critical to a Tipping Point;

1) Connectors – People who move well between different types of people, groups or social casts. Connectors link the world. They have an uncanny knack of connecting different people from different social environments. Connectors will mix with CEO’s, SkateRats and Professors, they have no cultural or ideological boundaries.

2) Mavens-People who are “informational specialists”. Mavens collect information and live for sharing it. Mavens are “information brokers sharing and bartering what they know”

3) Salesmen – Salesman are the “persuaders”, charismatic negotiators who can persuade others.

In the Web2.0/Enterprise 2.0 world I’m a ConnectSalesman. I connect and I persuade. It’s a fun place to be.

As a ConnetSalesman I rely on all of you for my information. I trust and rely on you Mavens. Without Maven’s information Connectors and Salesmen are useless.

Social media is driving a fundamental change in our culture and I am having fun being a part of the process. What are you; a Maven, A Connector, a Salesmen or better yet: a MaveConnector?