Let’s talk about meeting new people. There are essentially two columns you fall into. You are either a social person who enjoys meeting new people and extending yourself to do so, or you are more along the lines of anti-social and have a hard time approaching people and putting yourself out there. While it may seem that being remote could be a hinderance in this area, like it can be in many other areas, it actually can be quite a positive for those who may struggle to approach others. Being behind a computer and being forced to live in this paradigm of networking while being in the comfort of your own home… doesn’t sound all that bad. You mean I can sit back and meet new people and show them who I am behind a screen without the anxiety of environmental stressors like being at a conference or a meetup?
Say it ain’t so! Well, that is the world we live in now. Just as easily as it was for us to adapt to a life of social distancing and precaution, comes a transition into things like communication and networking. We adapt to overcome the obstacles in front of us and as humans, we persevere.
So what are some of the triggering aspects of networking to begin with? There are a multitude of things that prevent someone from approaching this with poise and a collected mind. Let’s break a few common ones down.
- Anxiety and the thought of not being good enough to approach
- Fear of rejection
- Confidence in the way you speak
- Fear of blowing an opportunity
The greatest common factor about most of these struggling points, when it comes to networking, is your mindset. You are your worst enemy when it comes to lifting yourself up to a higher standard. A lot of people struggle with uncertainty, feelings of doubt, and a general lack of confidence.
The first thing to do right out of the gates, is to own your experience and allow yourself to show other people what you can offer. In a world of networking remotely it is imperative that you use that opportunity to lift yourself to a higher standard and really show what you have to offer. Now this isn’t to say you need to have a pitch ready to go and to get right down to brass tax. However, you should be collected enough to know your own worth and know how to approach someone out of the blue and strike up a conversation.
A good way to get into the right mindset would be to switch the roles. Have yourself as a speaker of a conference or someone leading a meetup for your local area. Ask yourself how you would like to be approached. Networking can seem a bit tricky when you start to break it down. Do I show them what I have done in the past right away? Do I talk about the different things that set me aside right from the get? Do I approach more aggressively than others to stand out?
The easiest way to approach, especially remotely, is to simply be yourself. Feel a room out and look for people to reach out to that show commonalities. Listen to other people talk and interact and find a moment where you can assert yourself and add to the conversation. Stand out by building off previous talked about topics and ask other people their views on the subject. If you go in with the mindset that you can only gain something from an experience, then you can never lose anything.
Networking remotely can seem a bit daunting at first. A lot of thought goes into what events you can join to start networking. This is a great place to be at. Anytime an event pops up, you should definitely do your best to attend and also have the mindset that you are going to gain something from it. Whether that be more experience under your belt, gaining a new contact, or even just learning something new.
Creating relationships with your peers and getting to know their strengths will allow yourself to find ways to relate and even reach out to offer them some type of help. Having a symbiotic relationship when you network is what helps set you aside from someone else just looking for another contact. Being open and optimistic will make these things become second nature.
An important aspect, that becomes a lot easier with networking remotely, is following up with the people you meet. It’s not enough to just meet them and hope you run into them down the line. You should strive to create a type of career relationship, so to speak. Become interested in their skill sets and their career goals. Follow up with them about things you have talked about and become someone they are beginning to know more, and not just that person you met that one time. Every experience you create with someone can branch from there and that is something you should keep in mind.
The difference between someone who is just trying to network and someone who is genuine in their career world, is the way you interact with everyone you meet. If you find yourself meeting one person, just to get to another person who may seem higher up, and so on and so forth. You will find yourself missing out on strong rooted connections. It will not only enrich your networking circle, but it will enrich your character within your career. It doesn’t take a lot to follow up with people. It goes a long way and that is ultimately what will make you stand out.
Key points to remember!
- Be yourself and be genuine. In a world where you only have a camera to interact it’s important to be concise and impacting.
- Following up with messages through chat apps like Slack, emailing, or even a video call for lunch one day to touch base and catch up.
- Don’t be too overzealous but make yourself stand out by staying on topic during different events and integrating who you are throughout.
