
When I first started my business and was introduced to virtual networking, I wasn’t a fan. In-person networking seemed so much easier. But over time, with practice and the right tools, virtual networking has now become my preferred method to connect.
Saving gas, avoiding travel time, and enjoying more flexibility—all while making follow-ups and collaboration easier—make virtual networking worth trying.
Here are 4 tools to help you create deeper connections and enhance collaboration through virtual networking:
1. Calendar Scheduler
Make it easy to schedule virtual coffee chats with a calendar scheduler. There are several great options, including Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, and TidyCal. Personally, I prefer TidyCal because of its one-time, lifetime fee.
Adding a few questions to your meeting invite can set the tone and help keep the conversation on track. For techniques on how to do this, check out my blog on Supercharging Your Networking with Virtual Coffee Chats.
2. Virtual Chats: Zoom or Google Meet
Virtual chats save time and money, allowing for deeper conversations without the need for physical meetups. While sharing a latte is nice, grabbing a virtual coffee is more efficient. With virtual chats, I can make more connections each week while still managing my workload.
Zoom and Google Meet are two popular platforms for virtual chats, both offer tools you need for productive virtual networking.
3. Trello
Trello is an essential tool for keeping track of people, meeting links, and notes. You can use Trello to store meeting notes, virtual meeting links, contact info, and email correspondence—all in one place. This makes collaboration and follow-up seamless and efficient.
4. Referral Forms: JotForm or Google Forms
Networking is about finding the right people to collaborate with. Becoming the person who “knows a guy” builds trust and strengthens relationships.
Using JotForm or Google Forms, you can collect details from the experts you meet and organize them into a Google Sheet, Excel or other file. Attach this file to your Trello networking board, and you’ll have all your experts’ information at your fingertips when someone is looking for assistance.
In Conclusion
Incorporating the right tools into your virtual networking strategy helps streamline collaboration efforts, allowing you to build stronger connections and maximize your impact within your network.
Combining in-person meetings on occasion is a good idea, but finding the balance is vital. Virtual networking, when done right, can save time, money, increase flexibility, and help you streamline your networking efforts.
Do you have tips that help you with your networking efforts? Comment here so we can all benefit!