So, networking is a fantastic tool to make valuable connections and to learn new aspects of your business. A major part of that is attending conferences. With the current pandemic and new strain, attending a conference is dangerous. Health and Safety have to come first and the ways in which the virus spreads, through sneezing, talking and coughing, shaking handing as well, it is not safe to attend a conference. Virtual conferences are the way to replace that, the thing is, how to you attend and virtual conference effectively.
Top Tips
One thing that has not changed would be that you need to know what you want to get out of the conference. You need to attend for more than the reason that it is part of the job. You are spending good money and your time attending this conference. Get something out of it or it is just a waste of your time. Another thing to consider in this vein is that you should be selective in the conferences that you attend. This way you will be able to get the maximum benefit for the least amount of effort. (source).
Prepare for disappointment. See, it is really hard to network virtually at these kinds of events. Not impossible, but since so many people are attending this at the same time, it can be too loud to talk to the person you want to if everyone else is trying to do the same thing. The best advice would be to identify who you want to build a connection with and to contact them after the conference. This can help you build a more personal relationship with the person you want to network with. What you can also do is join the session chatroom and try and build connections through that as well (source).
Just because it is virtual, does not mean that you can be anything less than sharply presented, respectful and polite. You can still be seen in some kinds of conferences and appearances matter. Looking presentable when it comes to virtual conferences is, perhaps even more important. This is them seeing you in a casual environment, so what you look like will tell them if you think the conference is still important enough to dress up for. The problem with a session chatroom is that is can feel casual like you can say anything. You cant. You are still making an impression on these people, many of whom you will not have met. There may be some people that you have met before, but saying whatever you want can ruin perfectly profitable relationships with those people. Also, do not use text message language. Use full fords and sentences. This is not some teenager texting their best mate, this is an opportunity for you to improve your business and you should not treat it like anything less. If you would not say it, or look like that, at a real conference, don’t at a virtual one. (source).
My final tip would be to research the type of technology they are hosting the conference on this may seem pretty basic, but doing this can mean that you avoid embarrassing mistakes. For example, if you are on unmute when everyone else is on mute and you talk to someone in the room you are in. Every person in that virtual conference will be able to hear you and that can be extremely embarrassing. (source).
So, has that helped you out at all? Hopefully so. Going virtual when it comes to networking can be a real pain. There is no denying that. But there are ways to get through it until meeting in person is safe again. Living in a Covid-19 pandemic does not have to cripple your connections Nexus Networking has been working hard to endure that they right people are still meeting in spite of this pandemic and they will happily help you through this. To find out more, visit their website at https://www.nexusnetworking.co.uk, email us on info@nexusnetworking.co.uk or give us a call on 01206 656 160.