Something interesting happened to me yesterday — I came across four different people who don’t have any instant messenger. I say interesting because I am not so habitual of this happening to me daily — not just one but four different people.

Saying words like AIM, Skype, GTalk, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messeger did ring some bells — however, that is not the point.

The point is — IMs are no longer the tool to chat up with random strangers in the other parts of the world — the days of ICQ and chat-rooms are long gone except. Today IMs are a killer and highly profitable business-utility and an excellent way to build relationships with people. I know I have done it!

Instant Messenger = Perfect Blend of Phone + eMail

Remember the time when you had to write letters on paper and wait for weeks, if not months before you could get a reply to it.

Then came telephone. It was a smashing success because people to get a reply instantly. But still phone had one flaw — you could not multi-task with phone, which meant that you had to give your full attention to the person on the other end.

After phone, there came email. You could get your message delivered instantly AND you could multi-task, meaning you could take your own time to respond to the other person. I don’t think I need to even mention the popularity and utility of this killer-app.

Instant Messengers were next and they can be considered a perfect blend of phone and email. You get the speed of phone in interaction and the utility of multi-tasking of email when you are using instant messengers.

When it comes to domaining, instant messengers are the killer-app which let you network with fellow domainers, sell more domains, learn from others and build long-term relationships with others.

One opposition that you may hear about IMs is that they are a waste of time and they lower your productivity. Sure, you have to spend some time when you are talking to people. However, I prefer to consider it an investment into myself and my business.

I can spend thousands of dollars going to conventions to build contacts with people so why can’t I spend a few more thousand in time-value to make the most of those and other contacts. Heck, I have made thousands and thousands of dollars because of IMs.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy of Trillian and Skype and make your accounts with Skype, AIM, GTalk, MSN and Yahoo.

Once you have done that, add me as a friend –

Skype - lord_brar
AIM - lordbrar
GTalk - lord [at] lordbrar.com *
MSN - lord [at] lordbrar.com *
Yahoo - lord_brar

* replace [at] with @.

Catch you on IM. Rock on!