Believe it or not, there are many businesses that have ignored the trends about the importance of being connected with their markets, or might not even have an awareness of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and MySpace, and they are still making millions in profit. At first glance we all think how can that be, what’s wrong with them, and how much more successful would they be if they were “connected?” Or worse yet, have we spent all the hours getting connected through the social networks that we hear about everyday so we don’t miss out on the latest wave of technology, and just what is it that’s important to allow us to maintain success in our business during challenging times like we are currently in, even if we’re not using the latest social media technology to stay connected?

At closer examination, we discover a simple fact that in reality is the key component to being “connected,” and that is businesses and Entrepreneurs have built their success through developing and maintaining personal relationships, and consistently delivering “great customer service” as part of the relationships, which continues to work for them and keeps their business more successful than most that become mired in the maze of social media technology.

I continue to be amazed by the phenomenal growth of people that continue to swell the ranks of users on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and the many other social networking sites, and the ever increasing amounts of time so many of us are spending in the echo chamber that keeps getting both larger and louder.

As more of us become slaves, tied to our mobile devices and the information radiating from our computer screens, some of us have come to the realization that having more voices doesn’t always mean there is a better dialogue, and more information doesn’t mean simplicity as hoped for.

You have probably looked around like I have, and noticed more and more of us walk with our heads down while we stare at small 3 inch mobile screens, oblivious to the world around us doing the same, and somehow we have convinced ourselves both individually and collectively that we are more “connected” then ever before in history, and anyone who can multi-task is looked at with great admiration reserved for only a select few.

I admit to not having all the answers to the many questions that are swirling around the social media echo chamber that most of us have become part of, but the answers are evolving along with how we adapt to and develop new technologies, and the one true fact we must never lose sight of is that building personal relationships and weaving them into the fabric of our customer service tapestry is an absolute critical component to achieving and maintaining the maximum perceived value and associated success of our entrepreneurial and business endeavors.