Vacations, commute time, meetings, and business trips have all come to a screeching halt. This means people have more time for conversations. Now is the perfect time to make genuine connections and build your network. Here's why:
People are Not as Busy
Since everyone is working from home, we have a lot more time on our hands. Events, conferences, and pre-planned travel arrangements are getting canceled. Commute time has been cut down and we're always near our computer. Even the busiest of people have found their schedules clearing up. What does this mean? People that you couldn't seem to connect with before may have the extra time for a thirty-minute call now. Now, you are more likely to get a response to that email and get a virtual meeting set up.
There's No Pressure
When networking, some people may feel as if you are only reaching out to them in hopes of finding a job or opportunity, instead of building a connection and network. However, more and more companies have put a pause on their hiring. With this pause in hiring, networking conversations aren't just about finding the next opportunity. This takes the pressure out of the conversation and allows a more genuine connection to be built. People will also bring more compassion to the conversation than they have before. This pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another. People will be more willing to have genuine conversations and they will offer any tips or advice they can.
Virtual Makes it Easier
When everything is online, it makes networking easier. A virtual meeting is easier to set up because while working from home, we're always near our computers. Tools like Calendy make it simpler to get on someone's schedule for a virtual coffee or lunch. Virtual networking events are also becoming more popular. Many companies, CEOs, and entrepreneurs are hosting online seminars that people can attend. These seminars are free most of the time. Most virtual networking events have a limit on how many people can sign up to attend, making them more personal than traditional, in-person, networking events.