Virtual Networking Tips

The global pandemic is pushing all of us to adapt and pivot our business practices and lifestyles quickly, and networking is certainly one of them. Virtual happy hours and video chats are our new, temporary normal. If you’re like us and accustomed to in-person networking, fear not. We’ve put together a few quick tips to help you adapt to our virtual events.

• Make sure the camera angle is flattering to your face. What you see on the camera is what everyone else sees. You don’t want other participants to see up your nose.
• When speaking, sit up straight and speak loudly. Don’t try to lean into the camera (see above for reason why).
• Dress appropriately for the event. We’ve all heard of someone who wears the “business mullet” for virtual meetings. We aren’t saying you can’t do that, but we don’t advise walking away from the camera to let others see your dress shirt/sweatpants combination. Remember, you are still representing yourself and your business, even if it isn’t in-person.
• Speaking of, stay put and stay present during the event if possible. Others will notice if you are absent from your video screen and will also notice if you are typing on your computer. We do understand that sometimes you need to stop the dog from barking or your laptop power runs out, but those should be rare occurrences.
• Keep your surroundings neat and tidy. People can see what’s around you and having dirty clothes on the floor doesn’t exactly scream professional.
• Mute your microphone when you aren’t speaking. This is so important. Your laptop microphone can pick up the smallest noises and be very distracting to others. Not to mention that the screen will flash to you as the speaker every time the noise comes through, which makes it obvious that you are the person who has the background noise.
• Don’t bring your lunch. You wouldn’t want a close-up view of someone eating in front of you. Others don’t, either.
• Be kind to others. It can be hard to find the right time to talk during a virtual call, so make sure everyone has a turn to introduce themselves and speak up.
• Have fun! This is a social experiment and we know you will come up with your own best practices.