Networking During a Pandemic
By Liz Hatcher, Women to Women Network
The pandemic has turned traditional forms of networking on its head as business gatherings, one-to-one coffee dates, and mixers, have largely gone by the wayside. Yet while we have moved to the realm of virtual meetings, the so-called rules of engagement really have not changed. So, I find it perplexing when I am asked how I still manage to make new contacts and continue to grow my network when the opportunities to meet are so few.
My answer is this: I have not changed my networking habits. To be sure, I am not attending meetings offline, but there are plenty of virtual meetings and I attend every chance I get. And I still show up with the same intentions. I am there to engage and stay connected with the people I already know and to make new connections. I am also still following up with new contacts afterward, just as I would before.
What has changed is the ease of the follow-up, which has become much simpler and, I have found, has resulted in more genuine first conversations than ever before. Besides the obvious convenience factor, there is just something about meeting someone on zoom that feels more intimate than a coffee shop. It really is one-on-one with no distractions and my experience has been that people are more willing to let down their guard. Maybe it’s because we’re all wearing slippers and showing up just as you are is somehow more acceptable online!
For those of you still wondering how to network during the pandemic and make meaningful connections to grow your business, let me share with you my own “Rules of Engagement.”
Rule #1: Show up! Sure, you may be Zoomed out by now, but where else are you going to keep meeting new people? There are plenty of opportunities, too with so many different professional groups holding regular networking meetings online. Plus, with everything being virtual, now is a great time to check out other groups without having to drive all over the city to get to meetings.
Rule #2: Know your pitch. If you have been networking a while already, then you probably have your 30-second pitch dialed in. If not, then practice until you can speak it with confidence. Have two versions at the ready—your longer elevator speech, and a shorter version with just your name, business name, and tag-line. Type up your short version ahead of time, with your full contact info, and be ready to drop this into the chat.
Rule #3: Pay attention to the chat. There are plenty of side conversations going on all throughout a virtual meeting and if you are not paying attention, you may miss a potential opportunity. If someone starts a private chat with you—respond! Put your contact information in the chat for everyone to see. Copy and paste into another document the contact info for anyone you want to follow-up with.
Rule #4: Don’t spam the attendee list. This seems like a no-brainer, but too often I receive a generic email clearly sent to the entire attendee list proclaiming how nice it was to meet me. I find this rather funny if I did not actually meet the sender in the meeting, and worse, the message rings false. I certainly do not feel like they genuinely want to meet me, rather, they just want me to be aware of them. It is akin to blindly handing out business cards at a meeting, cards that usually end up in the trash. This leads me to the next rule…
Rule #5: Follow-up with a personal email. If you did not get someone’s email during the meeting via the chat and you want to follow up, ask the meeting organizer if they will share the contact info, or if they will introduce the two of you via email. A personal email with an invitation for a get-to-know-you chat, or an e-introduction, will always get my response.
Rule #6: Follow-up after your one-to-one. Whatever the outcome of a get-to-know-you meeting, send a thank you email. Connect on LinkedIn and add them to your database with all your notes from the meeting. If appropriate, follow their business page on Instagram or Facebook. All of this will serve to strengthen the connection and help build a relationship for potential referrals.
Rule #7: Check-in from time to time. Whether or not the person you met is a prospect, potential client, or someone you want to do business with, stay in touch. Even if it is just through social media. If you do not stay in touch, then you have completely missed the relationship part of networking. As the saying goes, we do business with the people we like, know and trust. The same holds true for referrals. So, keep in touch with your network and be ready to give referrals. It also feels good to help others in business when you can—especially during hard times like a pandemic.
Maybe you have your own set of networking rules you like to follow. As long as you are meeting new people, making new connections, and following up you will not just grow your network, you will build a strong referral base and that is what will help drive your business.
And if we have not met, let’s connect!
Liz Hatcher
Founder, Women to Women Network
Copy Writer, Editor, Content Strategist, Jackie427