I got blasted on social media.

No, it wasn’t someone inviting me to connect and then blastingme with a sales pitch (my usual complaint about bad social mediabehavior).

It was someone critiquing me because I write about socialselling and the importance of sales reps staying intouch with prospects, clients and colleagues, but I didn’trespond to his comment immediately.

Mea culpa.

It might have been one of those weeks when I was traveling, ondeadline or just plain exhausted. (Don’t ask me to put a sentencetogether after 9 p.m.)

Here is the response I did send: “My communication may not be astimely as some, due to client work and other deadlines. I takevacations and unplug. Weekends are family time. I make thesechoices intentionally.”

And then we began a productive exchange of ideas. We discussedthe differences between digital connections, social selling, and one-on-one engagement.Others built on our discussion and shared similar perspectives.That’s one of the powers of “engagement.” We don’t have to agreewith one another, but it’s important to share our perspectives.

However, we all agree it’s a balancing act. Staying connectedwith others is important, but so isoccasionally disconnecting from technology.

Social selling: convenient but exhausting

Thanks to mobile devices and social media, we now live in“microwave time.” Did you ever stand in front of a microwave andget really impatient because your food wasn’t heating up fastenough? Similarly, we now expect immediate responses to emails andtexts.

The problem with this expectation is twofold:

1. The responses we get are often in microwave digits — incompletesentences and quick, truncated messages — which is no way tocommunicate effectively or to build real relationships.
2. Being “always on” is taxing and overwhelming, and it distractsus from nurturing meaningful relationships with the people who areright in front of us.

When it comes to balance, technology is a double-edgedsword.

In an increasingly connected world, unplugging may be yourmost effective sales technique. (Photo: iStock)

Technology makes our lives (and work) more exciting and, in manyways, more efficient. It allows us to dictate our own schedules andto work when it is most convenient to do so. But it can also wreakhavoc on our relationships and ability to function in the realworld.

Before we know it, the technology that was supposed to make ourlives easier is suddenly running our lives. We can’t sleep withoutour smartphones within reach. Even on vacation, we bring work withus (or at the very least, clients can reach us). We can’t even getthrough a conversation with a client or prospect without showingoff some sort of tech savvy.

Not only do our relationships — and mental health — suffer. Sodoes our productivity. With mounds of information and databombarding us, emails and social media messages piling up in ourinboxes, and management on our backs to do more with less, how dowe choose the right course with so many competing priorities?

Yes, modern sales reps need a regular digital detox.

Go ahead and unplug (you know you want to)

We know we should turn off all electronics at least one hour beforegoing to bed if we want a good night’s sleep. We know we should putthat darned phone away when we get home so we can spend time withour families, and that we should unplug when we go onvacation.

While we’ve heard these cautions for years and understand thewisdom in these words, most of us remain plugged in, both night andday. But if we’re always looking at screens, we’re missing out onlife and undermining our most effective sales techniques. We’relosing the personal connections and relationships that drivesales.

Yes, sales reps must be responsive. But that doesn’t mean youmust work around the clock. If prospects or clients get annoyedbecause you don’t answer them immediately, be patient. (It’s not mystrong suit either.) Maybe they have deadlines, or maybe they’rejust having a bad day.

Come on. We need to cut each other some slack. I do what’sclosest to cash every day. And that usually means face-to-faceinteractions take precedence over social selling. I alwaysrespond to social media messages and to comments on my posts (atleast I think I do). But it may not be at that moment. Please don’ttake offense, but “closest to cash” is more important thanresponding to a post in microwave time.

Related: 9 ways to unleash the power of social media ininsurance