Whether you are meeting someone new or touching base with an old contact, you need an engaging point of discussion to get the conversation going. A typical “Hi, how have you been?” won’t get you far. You need to find a topic of mutual interest, establish common ground, and bond over it.

According to Susan Benjamin’s book “Perfect Phrases for Professional Networking“, there are plenty of topics that can spark such a conversation. Pets, kids, sports, movies, and food – which is what we are going to talk about today.

Food is an incredible relationship-building catalyst. It’s a universally valued topic, a prevalent icebreaker and it can help you produce wonderful dialogues. Whether you are discussing recipes, flavors, or even how an entire culture is infused into a single dish, there’s profoundness in the conversation.

Connecting over food is neither new nor a trend. It’s a practice that has been embedded in our society since ancient times. If you get the chance, watch Matthew Salleh’s “Barbecue“. It documents how cooking on the fire has upheld and strengthened social and family ties across different cultures, through the centuries. As he describes it: “Every fire tells a story”.

Such paradigms spin-off to other constructs of our society too, including the corporate world. For example, Google provides its employees with free food for the simplest yet most effective reason. By staying on campus, and sitting together for breakfast or lunch, not only do Googlers get to know each other better, but they also start to exchange ideas. Giving way to some powerful, innovative thinking.

Connecting over food is indeed a powerful way to shape relationships. As in any case of networking, be sure to listen to your interlocutor. Discover their dietary preferences and their favorite flavors. Food is important to each one of us. Keeping notes on the food preferences of your contacts can come in handy, for meetings over lunch, hosting networking dinners, or sending edible gifts on special occasions and holidays.

Did you know: Covve allows you to keep notes on each one of your contacts. With the tap of a button, you can now refresh your memory on their interests, dislikes, and favorite things! Including food. Tap on the + icon on your homepage and “Add Note” to get started.

 

Networking does not always take place in traditional settings like corporate events or professional mixers. It may take place on other platforms, as a networking dinner, a meetup at the pub, or even in an online multiplayer video game.

Although video game environments may seem unconventional for networking at first, they actually foster strong relationships amongst the participants. The reason is simple. Everyone shares a common interest to be there. Their love for video games. You genuinely have something to talk about, and developing a rapport comes naturally.

Of course, you may ask how is that possible? Conversations amongst gamers can be extremely toxic. Well, not really, or at least, not always. A study from Cornell University reported that the positive socio-emotional messages shared amongst gamers seem to be multiple times higher than the negative ones. 2.6 times higher to be exact. This is not surprising. It’s not unusual for gamers that have met online to develop a powerful friendship and extend it in real life too.

If you are already gaming in online environments, you are already networking. Whether you are playing WoW, LoL, Fortnite, COD Warzone, or even FIFA, chances are that you are meeting new people who hold common interests to yours. Why not extend this relationship? Find out more about them. Their work, and their professional interests. There may be a hidden synergy or opportunity you were not aware of.

As a career coach, Brad Waters, discusses in Psychology Today:

You love online gaming. You’ve been gaming with these same folks for years and, even though you haven’t met them in person, you feel like you know them better than most. Why not ask them if they have any job leads? Ask them if their company is hiring and if they could put in a good word for you. You already game with them for eight hours straight, so they know you’re loyal and can sit at a computer for long stretches!

Did you know: Covve allows you to add tags on each of your contacts. Add their favorite video games and interests to automatically receive news when something relevant happens! (e.g. When a new Call Of Duty game is announced). Tap on a contact, then on “News” and “Add topics”.

 

What are the common traits of a master networker? Is it extroversion? Outstanding communication skills? Perhaps the ability to listen? Or all of the above, and more? According to the renowned psychologist, Dr. Marisa Franco, master-networkers share a common key trait. They give back to their network.

In her Psychology Today article, she points out: “The one question that will make you a master in networking is “what can I do to support you?” The best networkers are the best givers.”

Dr. Franco cites a psychology experiment by Dennis T. Regan, which, as she highlights, is in line with the ‘theory of reciprocity’.

In the experiment, a select group of participants were instructed to interact with their student counterparts and create a pleasant or an unpleasant experience. The participants who were asked to create a pleasant experience, had to offer a free Coke to the student they were interacting with. After a short period of time, the group returned and attempted to sell raffle tickets to their interlocutors. The results were quite interesting. Students only agreed to buy raffle tickets from the people that had previously given them a free Coke.

The experiment showcased how an act of kindness can intrigue people to return the favor in the future. To reciprocate.

Psychologist Robert Cialdini further analyzes this phenomenon through the ‘rule of reciprocation’. As he explains in his book ‘”Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”, people from any culture have a compulsion to return favors back.

Of course, the objective is not to build a list of people who owe you favors. It’s about going the extra mile, giving to your network, and taking the first step towards the creation of fruitful relationships.

Don’t forget that warm relationships can take you way further than cold ones. LinkedIn’s State of Sales Report 2020, points out that 44% of sellers find it difficult to get buyers to respond to cold outreach. It’s not just in sales though. This applies to other cases as well.

If people have a connection with you, they are substantially more likely to respond and reciprocate to your call. Talk to them, understand what their needs are. Make a note of what they are looking for and proactively try to help, if you can. For instance, let’s say a software manager that you’ve just met is actively looking to hire software developers but is having trouble finding the right talent. Introducing him to a couple of your contacts could help substantially.

A simple introduction, advice, or even a cup of coffee can make a whole lot of difference in forming a relationship. Always remember that.

Did you know: You can use Covve to quickly remember the needs and preferences of your contacts and offer them something they will like. If you have notes on them, find the contact by tapping on the ‘search’ icon on your home screen, view their information, and access your notes.

 

Professionals are commonly overwhelmed with networking events and business meetings. The last thing they look forward to is yet another business card. They don’t want to save another name in their phone, they want to meet someone interesting.

How could you be this interesting person? Stand out from the crowd and intrigue people to give you their time?

According to the Wall Street Journal article “The Secret to Networking? Leverage” by Gary Vaynerchuk, you need to think differently when you approach people. You need to create leverage, avoid the standard route of meet and greet and encourage people to talk to you. Saying hello to literally everyone at a conference or finding the most interesting people at an event and buying them dinner, are some of the examples Gary gives out.

Do these alternative ‘techniques’ really work? Well, sometimes yes. Big time. The story of how Vungle made it into Silicon Valley is definitely one of my favorites.

Vungle is a leading company for in-app marketing and app monetization. In 2019 it was sold to Blackstone for $750 million.

Back in 2011, Vungle had just launched. The founders were in London and really wanted to join Angel Pad (a startup accelerator in the US that was founded by ex-Googlers). However they knew that the competition was super intense and there was a very slim chance for them to make it, as there was only one spot left in the accelerator’s batch.

So they didn’t go through the standard route. They launched a sponsored LinkedIn ad, asking people if they knew Thomas Korte – AngelPad’s co-founder. They targeted people who liked AngelPad, many of which were Thomas’s friends. When this target audience saw the ad and clicked on it, they were redirected to a video where Vungle’s founders were explaining why Vungle is a good fit for AngelPad and why Thomas should give them a chance.

According to a Forbes article, Thomas “got a flood of messages from friends who saw the ads, asking him who was behind it. Korte didn’t love the pitch, but he liked the company and their moxie.” After Vungle joined AngelPad, the company moved to San Francisco and raised tens of millions in funding before being acquired for hundreds of millions.

If it wasn’t for this simple, genius networking hack, the story could have been completely different.

Vungle’s example highlights two important rules in networking:

1. If you introduce yourself in unconventional and creative ways, it is more likely that you will draw attention from the people you wish to meet since you stand out from the crowd. Just like Gary Vaynerchuk recommended.

2. Meeting someone through their contacts is a powerful way to get access, and there’s a reason for that. We are all connected. In 1929 the Hungarian author, Frigyes Karinthy, gave us the foundation to the ‘Six Degrees of Separation’. The concept suggested that all human beings are at a maximum of six connections away from each other. So if you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, and then three more people, you can more or less reach out to anyone in the world. In 2008, this concept was proven to be true by researchers at Microsoft who studied 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 million people. They found that we are actually connected by 6.6 degrees with anyone in the world.

So the world is your oyster, literally. Always find out who knows the person you want to meet, and ‘wield’ them as access points. Also be creative in the way you grab people’s attention. You are more than just a business card.

Did you know: Covve allows you to search and filter your contacts based on all the different information you record about them:, Their line of work, industry, the city they live and work in, notes about their skills and so much more. You can easily find who is who in each industry or country, and ask them to introduce you to people you are looking for. Simply tap on the ‘search’ icon on your home screen and you are ready to go!

 

The 2020 pandemic has led to a wave of digital transformation across the globe. According to McKinsey “COVID-19 have speeded the adoption of digital technologies by several years—and many of these changes could be here for the long haul.” The global technology adoption rate was accelerated 3 years faster than expected, to be precise.

The unprecedented explosion of video calls was an integral part of this massive transformation. According to TrustRadius the search impressions for video conferencing software increased by 500% in 2020 alone.

So video calls increased dramatically, as circumstances deemed it to be necessary. The question that remains is could video calls be a worthy substitute for face-to-face meetings?

Just a few years back, there was a strong case on the importance and irreplaceability of face-to-face meetings. In 2015, a Forbes article made compelling statements on how face-to-face meetings could better impact relationships. The article even argued that online meetings must only take place when absolutely necessary – When work was “too dependent on long-distance, digital and impersonal meetings”.

Nonetheless, it’s quite interesting to see how we rethought or even rediscovered the importance of virtual meetings a few years later. A survey by Boston Consulting Group reported that during the first wave of the pandemic, 75% of the participants either maintained or increased their productivity due to the efficiency and convenience of virtual meetings.

Does this efficiency compensate for other vital parts of communication, such as body language?

Body language matters greatly. A 2016 research paper by Dunlap and Murtagh points out that “behaviors—such as facial expressions, the placement of head and shoulders, the use of hands—can deliver information, regulate the interaction, and express feelings and intimacy”. This is in line with Dr. Mehrabian’s research in the 1960s, which described that 55% of our communication is visual.

This is where things get interesting. Although video calls may not allow for the entirety of body communication to be transmitted virtually, especially when the camera is off, or when the communicators can only see each other’s faces, it appears that certain digital elements can fill the void. According to the research of Derks, Bos, and Grumbkow (2007), digital constructs such as emoticons can act as nonverbal surrogates to imitate body language and convey emotions.

The replacement of physical body language, as we know it, doesn’t end here though. As we progress into a digital reality and the metaverse, the use of video calls may even become outdated by a new element. Avatars. Digital versions of ourselves.

According to a recent survey by Covve, 42% of the participants claimed that eye contact will be possible through their avatars. 46% of the participants even support that they will be able to simulate communication elements like body language, through their avatars in the metaverse.

Undoubtedly, remote communication is gaining popularity and not without a reason. In most cases, it can increase our productivity and efficiency. What remains to be seen, is whether it can fully replace the merits of face-to-face meetings. Until a few years ago this was doubtful, but as technology is evolving, things are changing drastically. Of course, it all depends on the occasion and the rapport you are developing. Sometimes you need to call instead of texting, video call instead of calling, and meet instead of video calling.

Did you know: Through Covve you can get in touch any way you prefer – phone, email, text, or Whatsapp (for voice, text, and video calls). Tap on a contact to find the available communication options under their name.