Virtual Coffee Chats: 7 Ways to Network Remotely

2020 pushed many companies to go partially or completely remote with employees working from all over the world and practicing social distancing. While it has definitely boosted productivity in the workplace, it has made it difficult to network remotely and build connections. A research study by Fleishman Hillard which surveyed 1000 remote workers unveiled that 55% reported the inability to communicate with coworkers as one of their top 3 challenges. Without conferences and networking events, it’s harder than ever to meet and network with new people.

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Introducing, ‘Virtual Coffees'

55% of remote workers reported the inability to communicate with coworkers as one of their top 3 challenges.

What are Virtual Coffees?

Networking is extremely important to building your personal brand, keeping an eye open for new opportunities, growing your business, and bouncing off ideas with peers. Virtual coffees or remote networking uses the power of technology to schedule a chat or meeting with contacts from all over the world to build relationships. A recent statistics report by LinkedIn showed a 55% increase in conversations among connections in 2020 with more users seeking to build relationships virtually.

95% of professionals believe that face-to-face meetings help build great relationships especially within the business community.

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What are the Benefits of Virtual Coffees?

• Grow your network – A research report by Hubspot uncovered that 95% of professionals believe that face-to-face meetings help build great relationships especially within the business community. Another interesting statistic from the Hubspot report shows that 85% of job positions are filled through networking – knowing the right people and building a network of HR professionals, industry experts and peers can help massively! Checkout these 7 tips to build relationships remotely

• Learn and stay up to date with current trends – Use virtual coffees to connect with experts who can mentor and help you with any questions you may have about the industry. This is extremely beneficial for current students and recent graduates who are starting out and may need some guidance.
• Build genuine connections – It is a common mistake to try to sell a product, service or share an elevator pitch during a virtual coffee but nurturing a relationship will go far beyond making a contact and will definitely benefit both parties.

How can Young Professionals Network Remotely?

Networking helps solve an important pain point for recent graduates and young professionals which is the lack of work experience. Connecting with hiring managers can help improve your visibility, provide a great first impression and get you closer to your dream job. It also helps to improve people skills and find mentorship from senior industry veterans. If you’re a student, recent graduate, or young professional, the Qureos community can help you:

– Find mentorship from industry experts and corporate partners

– Learn in-demand skills through collaborative, practical cohort-based programs with peers

– Build personal brand and grow your network

How to Start Networking with Virtual Coffees?

• Tap into LinkedIn – Find experts who may be connections of your connections or through a simple search based on industry. Reach out with a short polite message asking for a quick chat and wait for them to get back to you. Optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords and structured content to increase visibility.
• Join LinkedIn groups – Request to join groups where you can meet like-minded professionals based on industry, passion, location, personal projects, etc.
• Opt for virtual co-working spaces – While co-working spaces like Regus, Wework and Astrolabs were great for meeting new people, it’s not an option at present. Virtual co-working spaces like Pragli help foster communication and collaboration with peers by setting up encrypted audio and video rooms.

• Sign up for virtual events – Set aside time every week to spend on learning through webinars and masterclasses and connect with industry recognized mentors. It would be great to leave the event organizers and speakers a follow up message sharing how much you loved the webinar to make a formal introduction and add the contact to your professional network.
• Find professional communities on Slack – With many remote teams using Slack to manage relationships, there are many communities with opportunities to connect with and learn from professionals. It may be worthwhile to look into Paid slack communities too.

Check out slack communities based on your interests to meet new people, exchange ideas, find mentorship and network..

• Track down alumni – Use LinkedIn to connect with alumni and build a connection based off your experience with the university and other common interests. It may also be worthwhile to be active on your university alumni network or pages.
• Register on networking platforms – Explore applications like Bluetie, Invitly and Shapr to browse through professional profiles and set up virtual coffee meetings whenever you receive a match. There are networks specifically for startups and entrepreneurs with a focus on finding investors and cofounders like Invstor and Cofounderslab too. 

Use these tried and tested methods to network remotely and create great impressions. Building your personal network of hiring managers, industry experts, tech gurus and influencers will help you grow your personal brand. Be sure to follow up virtual coffee chats with a thank you note and deliver anything that you may have promised. Keep in touch and circle back every few months to nurture the relationship that you have created.

If you’d like to learn more about Qureos, contact us at hello@qureos.com or check out our socials!

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