Chapter 5: Mastering Virtual Etiquette
When it is time to do some of the virtual networking that you want, you need to make sure that you are able to follow some of the necessary etiquette that is required. Everyone has certain expectations when it comes to the way that you behave in the world, and you need to find ways to master the techniques, or you will turn off those connections and have them running for the hills. Some of the ways that you can master your virtual etiquette includes:
Don’t Expect A Reply
Do not always expect a reply from someone to one of your meetings. While it would be nice to get your whole email list to show up and work with you, this is not always going to be the case. And bugging the other person all the time is never a good idea either. You need to send out some of the standard stuff and then let it alone if it seems that the other person is not all that interested in working with you along the way. You will get some replies, but you do not need to turn this into harassment along the way.
Make Sure You Have Reliable Wi-Fi
Your Wi-Fi is going to be so important when it comes to these virtual networking events. You do not want to have static on either side or worry about losing the other person along the way. You want it all to be smooth and simple to work with the whole time. And having internet that is going to work the whole time is a bit part of having this work to your way.
Check the Wi-Fi connection before you get started. See whether there are any issues that could pop up later and figure out ways to fix these if they do show up. You may need to talk with your internet provider or IT personnel to see what you are able to do to prevent potential issues later on as well.
Test Out Sound
It is a good idea to test out the sound and audio on Zoom and other tools before you get started. You want to make sure that you are able to hear everyone else and that they are able to hear you along the way too. You may need to enlist another person to do this with you. have them sit in another room and discuss whether you both are able to hear one another or not. If there is a problem with the sound, you will have time to fix it and make it sound better before the meeting starts.
It looks very unprofessional to have the sound not work on your device when it is time to get the whole process started. No one wants to wait to see whether the sound is going to work or not.
But when you test it out on your own ahead of time, you will find that you can get all of the issues worked out ahead of time.
Arrive On Time
Never show up late. Just like with an in person meeting, showing up late shows that you do not really value the time of the other person and you are not willing to spend that time with them. You need to be on time, if not early, to ensure that no one is kept waiting and that they don’t wonder whether you are going to show up or not in the first place. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that you will arrive on time to the meeting. Set an alarm, have the computer near you during the time, and clear up all of the time around that scheduled event to make sure that you are not going to be late.
Introduce Yourself
Before you get anything else started, you need to take some time to introduce yourself to the other person. Whether you are talking with one person or many, it is a good idea to introduce who you are and anything else that is important for the other side to know about you. As part of the icebreakers, you can continue to work through the group and let everyone introduce themselves and say something about themselves too, helping to open up the room and get others talking, and not just yourself.
Be Authentic
Your main goal through all of this is to be authentic. When you try to fake who you are, others are going to see right through it and will judge you instantly. This is a big turnoff for a lot of people and they will instantly not want to do anything that you ask them to or be open to anything that you want. But when you are authentic and your true self, people will warm up to you and may even forgive some of the mistakes that come up along the way.
There are different ways to be authentic. Do not try to hide anything, talk in a tone that seems natural to you, and put on a smile. Nothing puts people at ease quite like showing off a nice smile for all to see. When you are able to do this, you will find that it is easier to interact with others and make a big impression.
Don’t Pitch
Do not spend all that time pitching your ideas to others and trying to get them to pay attention. No one wants to get on a meeting and just hear you pitching the whole time. That is boring and it instantly puts their defenses up against you. You want them to feel comfortable and calm around you. You want them to feel like it is a conversation with an old friend when they get on. This will take some time to master, but remember that this is a conversation, not a pitch meeting, and you will find that this is going to be a good way to get started.
Offer Something In Return
This is not all about you. If the other person just feels like you are asking and asking, but you have no want to give them something in return, then this is not going to go well for you. Networking is all about the give and the take. You may want to get something out of the relationship, but so does someone else. You need to be willing and able to offer the other side something in return.
The exact thing that you are going to offer to them will depend on the information about that networking meeting. But there needs to be more giving than taking on your end. This sweetens the deal for the other side and makes it feel less like you begging and more like you trying to look out for the other person and give them what they need.
Mastering virtual etiquette is going to be an important part of the whole process, providing you with some of the best in meeting others. There are certain rules that you will need to follow along the way, ensuring that the whole thing goes off without a hitch. Follow some of the guidelines above and you will be off to a good start.