You have spent many months social distancing and quarantining. After using Zoom for communication, your pets have been interrupting and making funny faces; it may not feel normal to be back in a room full of people or a formal meeting.
To help you make the transition smoother, I reached business leaders and entrepreneurs to get their advice. Here’s what they have to say:
1. Respect the comfort levels of others.
Everybody will react differently to in-person events. Your team members might be excited to meet new friends, shake hands and share their excitement for being in the same place for the first-ever time in a while. Some team members may be more cautious about new viruses and prefer to remain at home.
It is essential to be safe in in-person interactions. Wash your hands frequently and adhere to current health guidelines. Provide handwashing stations and hand sanitizing stations. Encourage people to come to the event online if they are symptomatic.
Duane Spires, the CEO of Success Team Coaching, has hosted many in-person events that have attracted 100 to 300 people over the past year. “As the world reopens, there is a much-needed opportunity for people to experience the exciting power of in-person relationship-building again,” Spires says. These tips will empower you to host extraordinary meetings and events. Your business and your life will be transformed.
2. You must be intentional in building relationships.
According to a Harvard Business Review Analytic Services poll, 95% said that face-to-face meetings were crucial for building and maintaining long-term relationships. It is essential to be deliberate when building new relationships and renewing old ones.
Although everyone is aware of how polite it is, it’s challenging to be present when you feel your time should be spent elsewhere. To build meaningful relationships, you must show others the respect and care they deserve. Nick McLean, founder of the Midwestern private equity firm Four Pillars Investors, knows that relationship-building is the key to business success.
“Week upon week, the client would cover all the travel expenses of the project team so they could meet face to face with the client. This made a strong impression on my mind. We are now in the present. Many would argue that our business revolves around forming partnerships. We can do our jobs without in-person relationship-building, but we feel like taking the easy way out. We can differentiate ourselves from our competitors because they won’t make the effort of meeting in person.
3. Always be sincere and thoughtful.
Bert Cattoor, the founder and CEO of Geckomatics’ mobile mapping and machine learning company Geckomatics, believes that you get what you put into relationships. It is vital to make an effort to meet with people in post-pandemic circumstances. Suppose you can offer value that creates a network of people who will soon find deals in return. Don’t be afraid to give advice and open your network to bring in interesting people. And don’t forget to take the time to listen.
Before you decide where or how to meet, consider the following: Are they, essential customers? It is necessary to spend time with customers face-to-face to establish a rapport. You can be flexible but remember how critical in-person interactions are. It doesn’t matter if you meet online or in person; you should always consider the needs and wants of the other person.
4. Have fun.
Jeanine Smith is the CEO of Sorority Records media company. She says that the pandemic taught Jeanine to appreciate the fundamental freedoms that she considered normal before the quarantine. Because of this, she has remained cheerful and focused on the fun in the new post-pandemic world. Her suggestion? Keep the conversation about you lighthearted and joyous if you want your message to be memorable.
She advises, “Make sure everyone understands that everyone is going through something. This will ensure that no one is completely focused on you.” “Relax and be cool with your new friend. That’s the best thing you can do. Everyone wants their stress, even if it’s theirs.
Focus on giving to build relationships, and create new ones. You can make a lasting relationship by helping others. Always give before asking for anything.
5. Be creative and venture out of your comfort zone.
Patrick Casey, Arqlite’s financial operations manager, is eager to establish new relationships in an old-fashioned manner. Casey stated that “This is an amazing opportunity to find common ground and make genuine connections.” Some parts of the world deal with completely different circumstances. It’s not something you can take for granted!”
They build trust organically and foster trust. If a customer is curious, they can be given a tour of the facilities and left with a positive impression about your company and the feeling of being treated well. These moments are not possible via screen sharing.
6. Prioritize empathy & flexibility.
“Empathy allows one to build strong relationships–both for personal and professional reasons. Because our customers were experiencing hardship in their region, we made a more robust relationship by showing compassion and concern for them and their families. We all suffered to some degree, regardless of where we live. The pandemic revealed much about our personalities and essential things in our lives.
Hickman believes listening is the best way to learn these same lessons in a world that values face-to-face interaction. Listen to customers and find out what they are looking for from your company. Listening can lead to learning, which can be applied to your business and challenged by traditional ways of doing things.
Expect a slow transformation. Change is not an overnight process. Everyone involved must be patient as the business evolves. Hickman advises that people communicate more. Progress will be more apparent if everyone is on the same page, even if it happens at a slow pace.
It is possible to regain in-person interaction even though some things may never be the same. Follow these business leaders’ advice to start building relationships.
