Is Networking Back in Style Post-Covid?

Calgarians love in-person networking. This is one thing I know to be true about this business community. We are a city full of social professionals who love to connect, laugh, and learn alongside each other. While online networking was good for many individuals, it just didn't have the same impact for connection that many of us appreciate. Being back in the room, eyeball-to-eyeball (6 feet apart, of course) with other business owners, all hungry for this real connection has been fantastic.

Pre-pandemic, in-person events were a huge part of my growth plan for Clean Club Calgary. Even though the pandemic didn’t necessarily hurt the company (in fact, we grew significantly over these past couple of years), it has changed how I prioritize the events I attend and how I conduct myself when at them.

If you’re starting to get back into in-person networking, the following may give some clarity on how you can make the most of each event you choose to attend.

The benefits of being in person

Being in person is just different. There’s a palpable energy in the air that is felt, full of excitement to connect. Over and above being able to see the whole person (the lower half of the body is back in style), a few of the benefits of in-person connections are below.

• People get to showcase who they are with their in-person energy. Some people come alive when in person but fall flat when on a screen. This is no fault of their own, just the reality of being 2D.
• We get to have deeper, more intimate conversations with people around us, learning about their business and their passions without the stress of the breakout room timer suddenly cutting conversations short.
• We hear more stories being shared because there's an opportunity to connect with more people on a one-to-one basis rather than a one-to-many conversation.
• You can sneak away more easily without everyone noticing when you need to leave. No shifting of square boxes on the screen which distracts everyone.

Determining which events to attend

I personally attend one - two networking events each week. However, I don’t go to every opportunity available. Instead, I look at what events make the most sense for myself and my business. A few of the indications that an event is one I should get on my calendar include:

1. Does the event have something (speaker, panel, connections) that will help me grow my business?
2. Does the event provide me with an opportunity to grow as a leader so I can better grow my business?
3. Who else will be attending this event? While names/company information may not be provided, you can identify the audience the event is targeting. Based on this, you can make an educated guess on the types of individuals who will be there.
4. Will this allow me to make connections for growth - either by gaining clients or referral partners?

If the answers to these questions are positive, then I make a point of attending.

Why is the event good for business

For Clean Club Calgary, in-person networking has a direct impact on our bottom line. From a number’s perspective, we receive approximately 10 - 12% of our leads from networking. This is because I am intentional with which events I attend. For instance, I focus on events that serve a large number of businesswomen - those who are very busy, often have families, and do not have time to clean their homes. By connecting with them and understanding that, more often than not, it’s the woman of the household who researches and organizes the cleaning company, I’m able to directly connect and converse with my ideal clientele. Plus, it’s fun when someone asks me what I do and I get to respond, “I clean toilets!” It adds my personality to the conversation and people immediately understand what it is that Clean Club Calgary does.

Additionally, for each event I go to, I set a target for the number of conversations to have and with who these individuals should be. This is how I’m able to continue receiving these 10 - 12% of leads, which helps me better understand where to spend my overall marketing dollars.

Pre- and post-pandemic networking

Overall, I don’t think networking has changed much since the pandemic. However, some companies/associations who are putting on an event need to make it more enticing to draw people in. Some individuals are still on the fence about coming back together in person and this is okay. Companies are now competing with a layer of anxiety that wasn’t there prior to the pandemic, so they must address this.

For instance, one major difference where I see more hesitation in people is the physical aspect, such as shaking hands. The organizers of the event should account for where people are hesitant in coming together and plan around this. Many people are not as comfortable with strangers being in their personal space as they perhaps once were. Organizers can address this by lowering the number of people allowed at the event; create interesting spaces around the event to give people places to move between, rather than congregating all in one spot; or even set up a fun “what’s the new handshake that doesn’t involve physical contact” contest. It’s a matter of getting creative rather than doing things the way we did pre-pandemic.

I can honestly say that in-person networking is back in style, just with some interesting twists. The main thing about networking is that people are happy to be connecting offline again. This has been and always will be one of the best ways to build relationships, showcase who you and your business are, and grow your business network.