Remote Networking, Part 1: Staying on people’s radar

For more years than I care to admit, I’ve been training and coaching a wide range of professionals from senior executives to MBA graduates in the subtle art of networking – and of course since March 2020, this has all been virtual!  The most frequent question I’ve been asked recently is how to network remotely, implying that networking in the ‘new normal’ is somehow materially different to life pre-COVID.

Let’s put this into context. Networking, pre-COVID, was mostly face-to-face for those working in large corporations and in business development, and for those working internationally and seeking career opportunities, it was based mostly on connecting remotely. 

There are obvious benefits to in-person networking over virtual, such as:

• spontaneous chats over coffee 
• serendipitous meetings in corridors and at events
• informal chats pre- or post-meetings
• easier to read non-verbal signals

I don’t deny that informal face-to-face chats were really powerful - and they will come back - but they are not the only route to effective networking. We still can develop connections, trust and deeper bonds virtually - it just takes some thought and careful planning. 

There are numerous ways we have always built relationships remotely, but the difference now is that the balance is skewed towards remote networking. So, I want to build on what we have done for years remotely to address the balance issue. 

What hasn’t changed is that all effective communicators, leaders and networkers will continue to be:

• useful to their connections both internally and externally 
• sharing helpful, practical information to remain on people’s radar and therefore build our reputations and brand
• having fruitful conversations to build trust and deeper bonds 

For the last 7 months, I averaged 4 calls per day with my networks and building new connections. I took the coffee approach onto Zoom: some meetings were more formal as if I was visiting someone’s office so pen-in-hand, others were more casual and I’d be coffee-cup-in-hand!

Discussions with one client turned to some people returning to the office part time, and the hope that relationships could be re-established. Their experience so far is that between low numbers returning and the necessary social distancing measures, serendipitously bumping into that key person you’ve identified as influential or important for you is unlikely, so it’s still crucial to stay in touch remotely. For now, serendipity is still not part of office networking, but she hasn’t completely disappeared - because she will turn up in your conversations through the screen anyway!

So, let’s crack on with building relationships through the screen and with purpose so that you can find an approach that works for you. 

There is a lovely saying that goes - “If only I knew then what I know now!” and as we’ve had several months of communicating virtually, we have all worked out both the opportunities and the pitfalls of chatting through the screen. 

Received wisdom says it takes 30 days to embed a new habit. So many of us have been entirely focussed on stabilising the business and managing and engaging with your teams, that the new habit of working, working, working may have become the norm for you.  If you haven’t already done so, your new habit has to include carrying on networking for your sanity, career development and business opportunities. 

Using my pragmatic approach, here is a simple plan of action that anyone can apply, and embed as a new habit: 

Step one: 

Every week, set up an informal chat with one person from the following categories:

Step 2: 

Share a project 

• Whatever you're working on at the moment, if it’s appropriate, consider who you could share this with within your networks 
• Share your project on a platform such as LinkedIn (depending on confidentiality and appropriateness) 
• Share your project with a thought leader, someone you're following to get their input 

Step 3: 

Go external 

It's a frequent oversight, even pre- COVID, that people focus too much internally and do not sufficiently build an external network. It’s important to understand what external network you need in order to support your career development. As a general rule of thumb your external networks would include your peer group within your industry, cross-industry peer groups, thought leaders on a topic that aligned to your personal brand. 

The most recognised and widely used platform to find and develop relationships would be LinkedIn. Therefore, my strong recommendation is once a day to connect with someone from the proposed networks above, with these identified people feeding into your peer group (as in step 1). 

My next articles will focus on reaching out to ‘cold connections’, how to develop your emotional intelligence when connecting through the screen and reading body language through the screen. So, stay tuned for more ‘Networking through the screen’! 

I’m always happy to answer any questions, so either email me directly at [email protected] or send me a LinkedIn request letting me know you'd like to ask a question. 

Resources to consider in the meantime:

'Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader', by Herminia Ibarra 

Interview with Ellie Doohan, GC, NED and executive coach, on how she made the transition from executive to NED and the importance of networking to her career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH6WEYlqW9g&t=821s

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