COV R STORY
CYBER CONNECTIONS
social media profiles when appropriate. Don’t just “like” something that they’ve posted. Likes, hearts, thumbs up, and other reaction acknowledgments don’t make you stand out. These are just pas- sive engagement reactions and do not get much notice.
Active engagement that gets your
name in front of your connection will make you stand out and connect in deeper ways.
If your connection has shared some-
thing on social media that you find inter- esting, do your own post and tag them in it. Take a picture of you holding their book with a testimonial. Then post your testimonial on their book page on Ama- zon. The idea here is to stand out, espe- cially if they are someone who has a very large social media following.
Engagement is vital to building rela- tionships. It requires energy and effort
The Next Level If the person you’re connecting with is someone who you would like to know better and the feeling is mutual, sug- gest setting up a telephone call or virtual meeting. That will allow for deeper com- munication beyond the written word.
Explore opportunities that might be
mutually beneficial or ask them if there is something specific that they need right now that you might be able to provide. For an author, it would be a testimonial. Or it might be making some endorsements on LinkedIn once you get a deeper under- standing of their skills and strengths.
just as it does in the physical world. It is important to take this slowly. Nothing freaks someone out more on social media than the appearance of having a stalker or someone who is only connected to sell to them. Look for opportunities that are ap- propriate, but not every day, especially in the beginning.
Leverage the combination of interacting
with them on social media platforms, phone calls, virtual conversations, and email as a way to stay connected. This needs to be or- ganic; it cannot be forced. Too many people today make an initial connection on social media or in a virtual meeting and then be- gin to bombard their contact with too many emails or too many asks. That is not building a relationship. That is pushing for a sale.
Those who are successful at networking
virtually are looking to expand their con- nections with those with whom they share mutual interests. Those mutual interests turn into opportunities. In the best of all worlds, those opportunities are mutual, not one-sided.
Final Thoughts One thing is certain: Virtual interactions are here to stay. Those who are most effective at networking in this “new normal” will bridge the gap between connections and relation- ships by strategically looking for opportu- nities to connect. Remember, networking is about building relationships, not making sales. It is vital to keep this key difference in mind as you begin to take steps to use virtual opportunities to make new connec- tions. Sales or jobs may eventually flow from these relationships, but the primary goal in networking is to make a casual connection and build it into to a deeper relationship. Then, you take advantage of the virtual world to help you sustain and deepen that connection over a longer period of time.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Jill J. Johnson, MBA,
is the president
and founder of Johnson Consulting Ser- vices, a highly accomplished speaker, an award-winning management consultant, and author of the bestselling book Com- pounding Your Confidence. She helps her clients make critical business decisions and develop market-based strategic plans for turnarounds or growth. Her consult- ing work has impacted more than $4 bil- lion worth of decisions. She has a proven track record of dealing with complex business issues and getting results. For more information on Jill J. Johnson, visit
www.jcs-usa.com.
28 June 2021
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