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Are you confused about how to virtually navigate the networking world? Do you have anxiety about building business relationships? Here are a few tips that can help you discover the best way to make connections and create new contacts.
“The pandemic has affected how we live, how we work, and most importantly, how we interact with one another.”
COVID-19 is an equal opportunity game changer for everyone. The pandemic has affected how we live, how we work, and most importantly, how we interact with one another. This changing landscape is forcing our networking attempts to be more intentional and strategic; not an easy task in this new virtual age that many see as sterile and remote. How can that perception be changed? What is the best way to network in the virtual climate?
Change Your Vantage Point
Unless you were a seasoned networker pre-pandemic, many people felt that “networking” was a daunting task that could leave one feeling drained. Attending events where you know few people can be intimidating and the whole exercise can prove fruitless. Networking in the virtual arena is even further beyond one’s comfort zone than good, old-fashioned in person networking. The easiest way to overcome such anxiety is to change your vantage point. Instead of being overwhelmed by “meeting” new people, begin with who and what you know. No one is asking you to re-invent the wheel. Start small. Start with your friends and colleagues. Reach out via ZOOM calls, telephone calls, emails, or texts. Send a simple message asking someone how their day is going, ask what the industry landscape looks like. Bring humanity to the virtual forum. Focus on friendship and relationship building one person at a time, and proactively ask your current contacts to introduce you to a brand-new contact. After all, networking really is just a conversation. On average, it takes 66 days to create a habit: give it try, send that first message. In two months’ time, you’ll have created an entirely new networking game plan that is of your own creation.
Get In Contact With Nichol & Associates
Want further help with networking or business solutions? Reach out to us to learn more about how to leverage yourself in this virtual world.