How to Make New Business Contacts During Downtime

[This article was written by Kara Masterson.]

Many places of work are temporarily shut down due to the pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still make connections. Here are some creative ways for you to make new business contacts during downtime.

Research News in Your Industry

If you want to meet people, you need to be informed on current events and key players in your industry. You don’t want to meet someone who could be helpful to you and not recognize them. When you know all the appropriate current events, you are more likely to sound intelligent when you someday put yourself in a position to be in the same room with someone.

Be Active on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool. Get yourself out there on social media. Become friends and talk to people in the industry to get their attention. Do your best to remain positive and professional in all social media communications to ensure you don’t accidentally offend anyone you might need as a connection later on. You should look for people in social media groups that relate to your industry.

Check in With Acquaintances

This is a great time for you to reach out to people you don’t normally have a reason to talk to. Simply reach out and wish them good health. In the same email, be sure to offer your services in any way possible. You may be able to pique the interest of someone higher up in your career and give you a window to talk to them.

Assume it’s Business as Usual

You can’t assume that everyone in the world is shut down. Many people are utilizing online services to continue staying busy. Reach out to people just like you would when it isn’t downtime. Hopefully, other people will be working, too. You may just need to do business a little bit differently, but you can still get it done.

Name Matching Software

Use name matching software to help you find information that you need. Enter a name, and it will help you organize information about that name and with similar names into one easy to navigate search. It also analyzes information to help you approach people strategically.

You need to work with other people to make your business succeed, which makes a lockdown so dangerous. Don’t let it stop you. Continue meeting new business contacts with these tips.

Author Bio:

Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She enjoys Tennis and spending time with her family.