Networking in a Coronavirus Reality

The best kind of networking is done face-to-face. Nothing can beat that. Being able to read someone’s body language, to feel their vibes and energy, and just see their emotion is the best way to establish a true connection.

But with the spread of the new strain of coronavirus, known as COVID-19, people are now unable to interact in person or gather in large groups. And most events, including networking and social gatherings, have unfortunately been canceled.

So, as I’ve been asked recently, is networking still possible in this kind of world? Absolutely. You shouldn’t be deterred when there’s plenty of relationship-building options at your disposal!

As Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (the world’s largest professional networking organization) said on my podcast Conversations with Connors, “For me, online networking or face-to-face networking, it’s not a matter of either/or — it’s both/and. I think they’re both tools in your tool belt.”

And here are a few online networking tools and strategies that you can add to your toolkit (and perform from the comfort of your own home):

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is always a great tool for connecting with people in your industry and now is a great time to take advantage of it. When sending an invitation be sure to make a custom introduction. Explain why you are reaching out, and remember to consider what value you bring to each person.

You may feel more comfortable in a one-on-one setting rather than a large group, and you can use LinkedIn to set up that online meeting.

There are tons of people taking advantage of LinkedIn. As Preston Junger told me, “I leverage LinkedIn tremendously.” Junger is a tech guru who has formerly worked at Yelp, Yahoo and Apple. He’s currently with 7Shifts, a company working to revolutionize the way restaurant managers manage their employees.

“If you meet people, you should never feel like you don’t have someone you can go and find that has an area of expertise that you don’t have or you need,” Junger said. “LinkedIn is there for you.”

Here are some other tips you can use to get the most out of a LinkedIn introduction.

Reconnect

This is a great opportunity to reach out to dormant ties; these are the people in your network that you may not have spoken to in a long time. Now might be good to send an e-mail and reconnect. You can simply ask how they’ve been doing and see if there’s anything you can do for them.

It never hurts to check in and say hello! You could even introduce someone new to a long-time connection to help facilitate a more meaningful conversation or maybe consider performing The Gratitude Challenge.

Like Scott Gerber told me, “It amazes me in this day and age of every second being pinged and bombarded by stuff, that we just assume that somebody doesn’t want to hear from us again.” Gerber is the CEO of The Community Company, which builds and manages community-driven initiatives for media companies and global brands.

He says, “You don’t want to do outbound, crappy, cold stuff.” But he goes on to say, “the follow up is so crucial.”

And that’s something to consider: you don’t have to go out in public to send an email or make a call to follow up or to add a comment or a like on an old connection’s social media.

Now might also be a good time to send out some handwritten thank you notes.

Here are more tips for reconnecting with someone in your network.

Build Your Online Brand

Let’s face it. When someone hears your name, either in person or online, they’re probably going to look you up. Now is the opportunity to evaluate your social media and personal website and make sure it’s up to date.

Whether you reach out to an old friend or connect with someone new on LinkedIn, they’re going to want to see what you’re up to. Show that you’re active and passionate about something. Make sure there are no mistakes on your personal website.

Joe Apfelbaum, the CEO of Ajax Union, which is a B2B marketing company, told me that he treats updating his social platforms basically as a second job.

“I update my Instagram, I update my Facebook, my LinkedIn. There are certain things that are important to me to be able to do before 9 a.m. Before I go to work, before I start my day, I have a whole other day,” Apfelbaum said.

Rob Fajardo is an influencer and digital marketer who helped make the fidget spinner mainstream. How did he do it? He was able to connect with Allan Maman, who invented the product.

“If I didn’t build a personal brand online, I wouldn’t have gotten introduced to Allan – online – from a Facebook Group called Young Entrepreneur Society International,” Fajardo said on Conversations with Connors.

Now is a good time to develop your online branding presence, to be sure you are ready for your next opportunity!

Be Proactive

You can’t beat the connections you make through face-to-face interaction and by attending networking events and social gatherings (we even have a course to teach you how to maximize an event!)

With coronavirus on the rise, we need our networks now more than ever. It shouldn’t prevent you from networking, there are plenty of ways to build relationships from the comfort of your own home! There are many online tools and strategies available to help you stay on top of your network.