Have You Stopped Networking?
By Wayne R. Karlins
President of Reed Social Media Group
When the pandemic started and many of us retreated to our homes and worked from there, I worked hard to find out where I would continue to meet people. For me and my business, networking is essential. Like many of you, I found Zoom and other alternatives to live meetings and networking. I reached out to others and invited them to Zoom. I found it very surprising how many of them never replied and never showed up to a single Zoom event.
Even today, 21 months into this pandemic, and things looking worse again, I still have not seen almost a third of the people I would normally have seen at a live networking event.
Where are you, folks? This is like stopping advertising when business gets slow or like stopping all your marketing when times get tough. Wake up people. For a small business owner, networking is essential. Do you know what you are doing to the relationships you have worked on for years? People are wondering if your business is a casualty of this pandemic or if you got sick.
Well, let me go over some of the reasons you should not give up networking, even if it means using technology and being online. Just a heads up, I hope you have heard most of these before. You can hear them at any chamber meeting on how to network.
To start, you will strengthen your business connections. Becoming more visible is great for your business and just as good if you’re looking for a new job. You can learn things and gain more knowledge by being around people who are business owners, coaches, and even increase your power partners. You will also build lasting personal relationships. You may find opportunities at a networking event that might not even be released to the public yet. Networking will keep your business's name, as well as your name, at the forefront.
So…Where are you, folks? I know how uncomfortable it can be to be a new person on a Zoom event but for the first 6 months or more, there were all kinds of free and paid classes you could take to learn to not only get on Zoom, but about how to be prepared as well.
I understand Zoom fatigue, but when there was live networking, I heard similar complaints. I can’t make them all; There are too many groups, They cost too much; I have to buy breakfast or lunch to be there; It is too far and gas is expensive; I do not have the time.
Well, Zoom helps with time. I stop work and in under 5 minutes I am on my Zoom. When I am finished, I am back to work in under 2 minutes. I did not need to buy breakfast, lunch, or drinks for after hours, I have saved mileage and fuel money for my car, and I am still networking with like-minded people who understand the importance of regular networking meetings, being there to be remembered and get the advice they need or can give.
I have been introduced to hundreds of new people on Zooms; some local and others from across the country. I have kept in contact with regular networking friends and power partners, all leading me to new business.
Don’t know which Zooms to go to, or don’t know how to get on? Contact me at info@reedsocialmedai.com. I have a list of Zooms you can pick from, and I will be happy to get you set up on a free account or an account you can pay for which would give you even more options on Zoom.
There are always excuses to not network or not get on a Zoom. It is the New Year. Make yourself a resolution you can keep. Pick two or three Zoom meetings and see what it does for your business in a year. We may even need to stay home once again. However, once we do get back to live networking, I hope to see you there!
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