One of my favorite talks at SXSW this year was Matt Vanhorn‘s “Grow Some Balls: Build Business Relationships from Nothing”.

Description: “Fear holds many people back in business. There is fear of not having enough to offer, fear of not knowing what to say, fear of rejection. This session is about how the game is changing and how to build quality relationships out of nothing while not being afraid. Business is about relationships and using technology to foster those relationships by growing social spheres of influence and creating a network of contacts of friends, acquaintances, and business partners. Also to be covered will be the advanced tips and tricks for making a cold connection a warm one, how to make a great impression, follow-up like a rock-star and how to complete deals that are not typical deals. Social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have changed the way business is done. When should you add someone on Twitter versus LinkedIn versus Facebook? How do you avoid being ignored? What about instant messenger? Is the IM agreement the new term sheet?”