Networks-live and virtual

 

One thing that came out of the pandemic was the rise of Zoom. It had been around for a while, just one of many platforms for video conferencing, but quarantine took it to a whole new level.  Why did it come out on top? Well, it simply worked and it worked simply. Over the last year and a half, I have spent many hours of my life interacting with a Hollywood Squares version of reality, for both business and pleasure. My widely scattered family connected, and continues to connect, on a regular basis on Zoom. Church council, nonprofit organizations, school boards and book clubs all turned to Zoom to meet, and business networking also went virtual.  

PP (pre-pandemic), there was a limit to the number of network events one could attend in a day. It might take an hour each way to attend an hour long meeting, so two per day, or maybe three, were the limit. Enter virtual!  On Zoom, (or Skype or Microsoft Teams), the driving was eliminated and it was suddenly possible to fit more meetings into the day. Pants became optional, virtual backgrounds concealed your messy office and Zoom fatigue became a real thing!  Fatigue aside, I grew to enjoy Zoom networking.  I have met new people and my network circle has expanded considerably. (The picture is from the Small Business Milwaukee Think Tank, which I still attend regularly.)

Now in-person networking is back and here are a few items to remember as you leap into the heady whirl of live events: 

• Allow time to drive to the event. Traffic is up to pre-pandemic levels and so is road construction.
• Remember to put gas in the car and money in your wallet to buy lunch. Last year I gassed up my car maybe once every 6 weeks and ate out very rarely. Now I have to think ahead!
• Order some new business cards. You are meeting real people and a business card is still worth the investment.  You never know where a contact may lead!
• Get vaccinated, wear a mask, wash your hands, spread out; do whatever it takes to keep your potential clients and business contacts safe! Without them, there would be no business!

And don't forget your pants!