Networking in the age of social distancing

This post is part of a collaborative effort between Startup Portugal, The Next Big Idea, and Sapo24, meant to create relevant content to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Content available in Portuguese.

Events were cancelled. Offices are closed. People are working remotely. With all of this going on, it seems almost impossible to continue to interact as we did before. How can we continue to network in the midst of a pandemic which requires us to conform to social distancing?

We are inherently social creatures, reliant on our everyday connections, and the COVID-19 pandemic only enhances this need of ours. In times of crisis, we should reflect on the way we approach our connections in order to emphasize our humanity. Continuing to build relationships is essential to boost, innovate, and create solutions to the unprecedented challenges we are facing.

Social distancing will hamper our ability to network but it doesn’t have to end it. This is one of the cases where technology can be our greatest ally, as it allows us to create new relationships, maintain the ones we had, or even strengthen them virtually. As stated by Rosina Racioppi, CEO of Women Unlimited, the only barrier to build a network of genuine relationships is the fact  that people, especially those who started working remotely, forget to do it.

Here are some tips and tricks to keep you relevant, connected, and ready to network most effectively.

Approach new contacts

According to PresentVoices, 75% of people are just as afraid of networking as they are of public speaking. This can be a good opportunity to improve your networking skills and feel more comfortable with this practice. Through conversations and interactions with several communities, you can learn about a new job opening, get professional advice, find mentors, and meet people you admire. Interact in an authentic way and use your knowledge and skills to help people in your community.

Right now, you can make yourself useful and look for new ways to acquire more knowledge. Kelly Hoey, a networking expert, says that when we respond to other people’s immediate needs, they are much more likely to be there for us in our own times of need. So, do help whoever you can now, as these connections can be useful over time when and if the right opportunity arises.

Redefine your personal brand

Our LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media profiles say a lot about us. Now that we have time on our hands, we can use it to act and do what we have been putting off. Use Facebook Live. Upload new content on Instagram. Create a professional website. Promote yourself, your colleagues, and the organizations you admire. Redefine your personal brand with the content you want.

LinkedIn is a great go-to tool for networking. Assuming that, like most of us, you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile since the last time you searched for a job, this is a good time to do so. Check if your profile is up to date, ask your contacts for recommendations, participate in groups that interest you, and leave a comment on other professional’s posts.

Take advantage of video calls

Now that face-to-face meetings are out of the question, most people are learning to use the latest video platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. If there is anyone with whom you want to discuss something, approach that person virtually and schedule a meeting with them. Racioppi notes that many people decide not to approach someone whose work they admire for fear of rejection or simply because they feel reluctant to ask for someone else’s time and attention. However, she also states that we should not fear “no” for an answer, as most people are open to these requests.

New isn’t always better

In addition to creating new relationships, we shouldn’t forget to strengthen the ones we already have and which, due to busy schedules, might have been weakening over time. Michael Roderick, creator of the podcast “Access to Anyone”, calls this strengthening of past relationships “rescue mission”. Do you know those LinkedIn messages that have been pending for months? Or those old emails that you forgot to answer? This is your chance to set aside some time and address these people with whom you have lost contact.

Distancing ourselves from each other will be essential to controlling the spread of the virus. However, we don’t need to resign ourselves to social distancing, only physical distancing.

Source: https://24.sapo.pt/atualidade/artigos/como-fazer-networking-numa-era-de-distanciamento-social