How to network post covid?

By Brian Sullivan

Anyone else feeling a little Zoom fatigued these days? Don’t get us wrong, we really appreciate all of the video conferencing services for allowing us to see our friends, families, and colleagues, but it just isn’t the same as in-person connection. The COVID-19 pandemic has made many things we used to take for granted like face-to-face interaction quite challenging.

Whether it was for conferences, trade shows, professional development seminars, business development luncheons, or alumni happy hours… if it was for our personal career search, for the integrity and prestige of our industry, or for attracting new clients to our brand… in-person networking functions have been a huge part of business and the professional world. Conducting these pastimes has been a challenge in our planet’s current situation, to say the least. And, because the pandemic has long overstayed its welcome, many of us are itching to get back to the way things were.

Suffice to say, at some point, things will go back to “normal”. But that does that actually mean? What will the new normal look like when it comes to professional networking? And, while we continue to wait for the dust and COVID droplets to settle, what can we do in the meantime to maintain our networking efforts? The R&W Group Blog attempts to answer these questions today!

Networking While the World Slowly Reopens

Networking means different things to different people, and can even change its meaning for one person at different points in their lives. We are going to be looking at networking as two distinct, but equally important, aspects of business: 1) connecting with others as potential clients and/or strategic partners, and 2) connecting with others in service of your own goals and career path, be it for mentorship, tips on current openings, or industry insights.

When it comes to the first sort of networking, where it is more about expanding a broader net in a sales sense, the pandemic has made the face-to-face meetings virtually nonexistent. From the large conferences to simply grabbing coffee with a potential buyer, both have become tough terrains to navigate in terms of adhering to the social distancing restrictions, business policies, and not to mention each individual’s particular comfort level when it comes to being around others again. Reaching out by phone, email, and presenting by video seem to be the best current options for business development but, as things begin to reopen, we will see more coffee meetings and even big conferences in the coming months; they will just look slightly different than they did in 2019 and before.

The second type of networking, the type where you are looking for strategic connections to help advance your career and achieve your professional goals, there are actually many new options never before available that individuals can pursue – options currently seen as innovative whereas, before the pandemic, they may have been considered unorthodox, or even bizarre.

Our brains got stuck for a bit thinking about this: how do we leverage our network if we can’t meet in-person? The thing is, there is no expectation to schedule an in-person meeting, and people’s schedules may be more apt to accommodate a meeting over the phone or over video conference. After all, if they’re working remotely, their schedules are no longer constricted by commute times, client visits, or other commitments. This is a perfect time to take those COVID lemons and made some lemonade.

In a past post from the R&W Group Blog, we talked about networking during these trying times to help narrow a potential COVID-related employment gap. Reaching out to our old trusty network connections can help us identify new potential openings. We can schedule informational interviews with them. They might even be able to provide us with a referral or act as a reference on our behalf. If you are attempting any of these new and outside-the-box methods of networking, especially if you’re doing them virtually, be sure you are “camera ready”, both you as a person and the room or backdrop you’ve chosen for the meeting. Your old connections you likely only saw in the office or a banquet hall during a trade show are now seeing you in your home via webcam, so take care to curate that interaction.

Changes to In-Person Networking Functions

The networking, conferencing, and professional events space is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has been severely shackled for the last two years. Not to mention all the related industries that have been impacted like venues, promotional items, catering, and hospitality. Even the in-person career fairs we used to attend are still primarily online. While many of us are hungering for in-person interaction as a “nice to have”, these businesses and associations are aching to get back into their main revenue generating space again, and it can’t get here soon enough.

But what is this going to look like? We are already seeing signs of what the “new normal” might look like. For example, many event organizers are simultaneously coordinating large-scale onsite events for their attendees alongside a virtual platform in the event another massive surge in cases prevents people from coming. While government regulations and CDC guidelines often shape these behaviors, when it comes to corporate events, it’s just as often that companies have their own travel policies in place, and may restrict employees’ ability to attend nonessential in-person events weeks (or even months) after the governing authorities have softened on the formal restrictions.

We are also likely to see events in much larger spaces with fewer attendees. These smaller headcounts will partially be influenced by some potential attendees not feeling completely comfortable in these settings just yet. But, it will also likely be the result of the organizers and the venue operators adhering to social distancing guidelines to reestablish onsite events while limiting potential risk factors. This will probably mean that vacancies will fill quickly, but that could be offset with individuals and companies not quite ready to get back to the face-to-face atmosphere yet. Additionally, while ¾ of 2020 and (possibly) even more of 2021 were littered with cancelled and postponed conferences and trade shows, the remaining months of 2021 and much of 2022 will be jam-packed with events, more than we ever saw pre-COVID. Because of this, attendees will likely need to be more selective when it comes to picking the networking functions worth attending.

As for smaller networking events like alumni and community happy hours and luncheons, the kind that are less about creating potential client relationships and more about making strategic connections for your own goals and career mobility, we think much of this will vary from region to region. There are probably private rooms in the back of downtown chophouses in cities across the US right now that are hosting a few dozen people to meet and mingle, while companies in other metro areas might be hesitant to reintroduce that part of their business at this time. Services like LinkedIn, Meetup, and other virtual social networks will likely still host these types of events, and videotelephony will not be going anywhere, now that we’ve all seen the benefits and flexibility with services like these. Spend some time perusing the offerings of these services if your region has stricter lockdown regulations, or if your comfort level hasn’t quite reached the in-person event threshold just yet.

Changes in Business Mean Changes in Us Too

While in many ways, most of us have had to live a little differently for the last two years, maintaining a smaller, closer-knit circle than before any being pickier about events we attend, there are countless other ways that things have actually expanded more than ever before. Utilizing technology for networking where we solely relied on face-to-face interaction in the past provides us opportunities to establish connection to a wider and more diverse audience.

Jumping Back on Airplanes like Some People Call an Uber:

I was lucky through the pandemic. We held lots of webinars and launched our online CWN community ... we even took over as Publishers of Disruption Magazine and started telling stories about amazing founders and disruptive innovations. We've been blessed with lots of growth!

Which translated into copious amounts of introductions. It was easy to schedule a call without the drive time (never mind the challenge of finding a time when you're only in a city for a day or two). While some friends were Zooming 12 hours with their colleagues from 8am to 5pm, I met 5 or 6 new and interesting people, on average, every day. I felt like while their networks shrunk, mine grew.

And my network did grow!

But after attending BIO, Advancing Women in Agriculture and the Collision conference last month, I learned just how much my network didn't grow over the last two years. And yes I wrote that correct .. 3 conferences, in 3 different sectors, in 3 cities, over 2 weeks --- back to hopping on an airplane as frequently as most call an Uber!

Walking into a Room of Strangers:

What we missed over the pandemic was that awesome (and yes, often overwhelming feeling too let's be honest), of walking into a crowded room and jumping into a conversation with strangers. Instead of meeting 5 people in a day, I met 15 people in an hour! And then 10 more the next hour. And 25 more at the networking reception! Our networks were limited to the somewhat linear connections and not the huge opportunity a large room of random people provides.

Serendipitous Connections:

And then there are those serendipitous meetings. Those random connections that you wouldn't have otherwise had without being in that room at that time. I ran into founders I hadn't talked to in years who have scaled their business over Covid (or pivoted and working on the next big thing), and organizations with an aligned purpose that I'm now collaborating with. These are relationships that I would have missed out on if I was still behind my screen connecting with people only in the virtual world.

Diving Deep Into Discussion:

There was no shortage of webinars and virtual events throughout the pandemic. We got to try different virtual event platforms that allowed organizers to "Poll the Audience" or "Breakout into Networking Rooms". And we got to discuss topics in the Chat or Q&A portion of the webinar. There has been no shortage of important change happening across our world to discuss or debate.

But being in a room to engage with the speaker and the person beside you - that feels different. It has a stronger feeling of connection that I didn't realize because often I would be rushing to the next meeting or virtual event that I didn't have time to let the emotion or thought-provoking idea sink in.

Time to Rebuild:

It's time to rebuild our networks. To strengthen relationships with people and causes we care about. To find rooms with topics you want to learn about or discussions you want to contribute to. It's time to connect in real life.

In this blog, we will examine a number of best current options to cultivate, create and maintain your networking goals in a post-COVID world.

There is a lot of competition on social media and it's not easy to stand out. You have to be creative and unique in order to get noticed. By using social media websites such as LinkedIn & Facebook, you can build your digital presence. The first thing you should do is to start following people who are in the same industry as you. This will help you create a network of like-minded professionals, making it easier for you to find jobs and new opportunities.

If you have created a strong profile on LinkedIn and Facebook it's time to expand your network by following people on Instagram, Twitter and other social media networks. This can be done by creating a catchy profile that grabs your attention, ensuring all the information about you, your skills, achievements, etc. are up to date, posting valuable insights or information about your industry or niche and sharing posts from other people.

Tip - Reach out to alumni through LinkedIn

Sample Text - Hi David,

I hope all is well! My name is John, I saw you graduated from George Brown College and started working at General Motors Company. I am also a graduate of the PLC Certificate program from George Brown College. It is so inspiring to see a fellow alum making their mark in an industry I have aspired to join! I would love to connect and learn more about your work.

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Prior to the pandemic, virtual events were growing in popularity and that exponential growth is expected to continue. Attending a virtual event is an excellent way to make new connections. Whether it is through the registration process, break-out events, or other moments you can exchange contact information and stay in touch or refer someone directly from the event website. Do not miss this opportunity to expand your network through virtual conferences, virtual open houses or webinars.

Tip - Prepare a short sentence or two about yourself and what you do, that way you will be ready to make introductions in smaller groups or breakout sessions.

Usually, a digital business card contains only your basic information, such as your name, company, position, email address, and telephone number. You could include a link or two pointing the contact to your professional social networking profiles.

Tip - Fill at least 60% of the frame with your face. Avoid filters at all costs because employers find it harder to identify you if they see them on your picture. There are many free apps that offer templates to create e-business cards. Check out  Canva.

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Inviting someone you know from work, or someone you would like to work with for a virtual coffee is a great way to connect. This is a great way to share ideas and have a casual conversation with one or a few people and share your ideas and learn more about the other people.

Tip - Have conversation starters and questions on hand to move a conversation forward when there are moments of silence.

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• Set a goal for yourself. Is there someone specific you want to meet? .
• Know your worth.
• Plan your conversational icebreakers.
• Bring business cards (yes, really) .
• Stay positive.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• Give as much as you get.
• Follow up with your new contacts.

Even for committed networkers, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the typical opportunities for making professional connections, with cancelled conferences, a shift to virtual and remote work, and far fewer opportunities for in-person networking events. As a result, many of us have doubled down on our existing relationships, radically reducing the number of new people we’ve met over the past two years, and have let our loose connections go. In one study, weak ties dropped 21% at companies that shifted to remote work arrangements.

That may not seem like a problem in the moment, but over time, researchers suggest, it can lead to a decrease in innovation because we’re not being exposed to new perspectives. So how can we start to reprioritize networking, when we may feel rusty and out of practice?

I explore that question in my book The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World, because relationship building, when done right, is the cornerstone for long-term opportunity. Here are strategies that will prove helpful as we re-emerge into the office and other professional gatherings — no matter what size gathering you’re ready to attend.

Attending large scale networking events may feel overwhelming if you haven’t done it in a while. (And let’s be clear: they were always overwhelming for introverts.)

If that’s the case, a good starting place to rebuild your networking muscles may be seeking out one-on-one connections. You can begin with colleagues or clients you may have connected with virtually during the pandemic, and with whom you’d like to deepen your relationship. You can also create a list of dormant ties — people you haven’t seen or interacted with much during the past two years, with whom you’d like to refresh your relationship.

If you’ve exhausted those opportunities, or can’t think of people you’d like to meet up with, ask a friend (especially one who you know is a good connector) for suggestions about people you ought to meet. See if they’d be open to making introductions or hosting a three-way coffee or video call to connect you. They’ll likely be glad to assist.

This is a great way to reintroduce yourself to the basics of networking — which, at its heart, is just getting to know interesting people more deeply.

If you feel ready to dive into an in-person networking event, be aware that some things have changed, including the amount of personal space that you, and others, feel is appropriate. Additionally, we’ll need to go back to the basics of practicing small talk and finding ways to connect with strangers.

The best move, psychologist Robert Cialdini suggests, is to rapidly identify a commonality you share with the other person. Having something in common not only gives you something to talk about, but also conveys that you’re “one of them,” creating a pathway to build trust. Coming out of a pandemic in which social contact was curtailed and strangers were feared as potential vectors of disease, it may be especially powerful to emphasize your similarities with new connections.

One strategy that makes this easy is choosing targeted events to attend. Rather than going to a general networking mixer, for instance, you might make an effort to attend something sponsored by your alumni association. You automatically have something in common with fellow attendees, so conversation is likely to flow more easily (“What house did you live in? You were a philosophy major. Did you take Professor Green’s class?”) Additionally, the shared experience helps build a sense of familiarity faster, and you may find you have mutual connections already, further deepening the tie.

The problem with attending other people’s events is that they may not be optimized for networking the way you like to do it. (I recently attended an event, and am simultaneously grateful to the hosts for bringing people together and also incredulous that they didn’t provide name tags to help facilitate introductions.)

If you’re willing to take the lead on organizing an event, you can not only control the attendee list, but also structure the flow. (For instance, I’ll pose a “table question” to unify the group at a dinner gathering.) You can also accommodate your health preferences. (Weather permitting, the Covid-cautious can reserve outdoor seating.)

You might consider recruiting a co-host. Dividing responsibilities helps lighten the load. (You can invite three to four guests, and they can do the same.) It also ensures you have help in making the event run smoothly. (If you’re in the bathroom when the conversation lurches into controversial topics, your cohost can steer it back on track.) And of course, the primary benefit is that your cohost will be exposed to your network, and vice versa.

The weak ties from the cross-pollination of your networks can be transformative: One woman I invited to a dinner met a fellow participant who became an advisor to her startup and helped her raise her first round of capital. Remember: Almost everyone feels just as out of practice with networking as you do, and even if they can’t attend your event, they’ll likely welcome and appreciate the invitation, given that professional networking opportunities have been so scarce of late.