Are you an active social networker ? A recent study was conducted by the Ethics Resource Center that provided some important results with implications for salespeople . Do you spend more than 30 per- cent of your time on social network sites ? Then be careful , since a recent study has shown that active social networkers see many of those activities that other people find unethical as acceptable behaviors . For example this study shows that 59 percent of active social networkers believe that " friending " a client / customer on a social network is acceptable , while only 28 percent of other U.S. workers see it as an acceptable behavior . Forty - two percent of active social networkers believe that tweeting or blogging negatively about your company or colleagues is also acceptable , while only 6 percent of others believe so . This divide between active social networkers and others is crucial because if your client is from the other group , then what you think is acceptable , such as " friending " your customer on Facebook , might come across to your client as unprofessional . 13 Another extremely important aspect of today's social media comes from the fact that what you post on these media can quickly go viral . For example tweeting about how you used your sales savvy to close a deal can easily spread and reach your customer / other customers and project the wrong image of you and your company as people with self - interest and little customer focus . Companies these days are very cautious about the kind of messages that spread out from the inside and make sure that everything is consistent with their overall corporate image.

QUESTION

Discuss your viewpoint on whether or not it is acceptable to "friend" customers, suppliers, etc. on social media. Support your answers with data or real life examples. 3 Paragraph