The pandemic is still wreaking havoc on business as usual, and adapting to change has become a necessary part of our daily lives. In a world where face-to-face interactions are pretty much non-existent, how do we continue networking in the business world? How do we maintain client relations? How do we connect personally when video, email, and phone can feel so impersonal? It isn’t impossible – it’s just different these days.
So how do we do it? How do we maintain meaningful relationships and build new ones in these less than ideal times? Below are some tips and techniques to successfully network in these ever-changing times.
Be Authentic
More than ever, we are all craving human connection. We NEED to connect with other humans. And more than ever, we need to be authentic with one another. Dale Carnegie’s Principles are more true today than ever before, “Become genuinely interested in other people” is how we can keep that human connection alive. Make communication relational, not transactional.
Build Your Digital Presence
Make yourself accessible. Everyone is spending more time on phones/screens these days, so making sure you are active on your social sites and engaging with peers and clients is key to online connection.
Reach Out In New Ways
Now is the perfect time to rethink how you engage with people. Picking up the phone or sending a handwritten note, where technology has too often taken over, speaks to the core of human connection – showing that you really have a vested interest. It is more thoughtful rather than perfunctory.
Build Relationships Based On Empathy
Quality over quantity. It is not the number of people you know that makes a difference. It is the number of people whom you are connecting with on a personal level. Focus on building relationships based on care and empathy – to genuinely learn about and help others. Networking from a place of compassion will make all the difference during these tougher than usual times.
Reconnect
Reach out to people you haven’t spoken to in a while. Letting people know that you are thinking about them and offering your help can open doors to new connections and reestablishing connections lost.
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Never underestimate the power of letting someone know you are here. Times are tough, and things look vastly different – but establishing meaningful connections and helping one another navigate these times together should be at the forefront of what we do.
“Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.” –Dale Carnegie