It's here. The future. Faster than we imagined, thanks to an unforeseen pandemic.
I remember being a little girl watching The Jetsons (if you have to ask, "What is That?" Google it.) One of the most interesting things to me was the tele-video concept where you could call someone and actually see them as you talked to them from miles away! It was a cartoon - science fiction. Did anyone back then really think we would live to see something like that?
And if they figured that one out, where is the closet you step into that automatically dresses you?!
I am still waiting.
Now we are working, celebrating birthdays, mourning loved ones, and teaching via that tele-video concept! We are collectively clocking more Zoom time currently than perhaps sleep time, given the rise of sleep issues in the past few months. Anxiety is high, people and companies are scared to open their doors too quickly, managers are managing some of the most difficult situations in their careers, and despite all of these crazy factors, Business Developers need to keep on trucking! How?
I was speaking to a coaching client the other day who was stressed out about the pressures of selling in a time when no one wants to SEE you, let alone join you for lunch to talk about what you have to offer. She was in despair and she is not alone.
People are Zoomed-out, MS Teamed-out and Visually exhausted.
Welcome to Change. Change is exhausting. New things and new methods take time to groove in. This is not going away.
So how do you keep on trucking? How do we connect in this virtual age?
For one thing, if you have to use the same format everyone else is using, try thinking outside of the Zoom-Box.
In a virtual social, try integrating fun games that get people talking about themselves, learning things they never knew before about each other, and most importantly, laughing together. Humor is VITAL right now.
If you are going to teach a class or a webinar, start with some high-energy, fun music at the beginning! Make it feel like a party, even show them your best Macarena! (Remember-Humor is Vital.)
If you are Zooming with family and friends, incorporate a virtual party game. My husband and I are totally violating our weekend bedtime lately by staying up too late thanks to Virtual Game Nights. The wonderful part about it is that we have been "hanging out' with friends from across the country that we had not seen in months! (Check out JackboxTV.com) Prior to this pandemic and Zoom becoming an integral part of daily life, we had not imagined a way of getting together with these people we adore and missed terribly. In this way, we are now re-engaging and reconnecting with people we thought we had lost due to moving away - far, far away.
Above all, you must find ways to make your personality and your energy transcend the screen, reach out in a sincere way and connect! It is possible. It will take practice. It will take time to groove in.
Do not despair. It took time for people to warm up to the telephone, too. We are grooving it in together.
If you want to learn tips and techniques to help you better engage through Zoom or your virtual platform of choice, join me here -
How To Engage Your Clients Through Zoom
Webinar with Mitch Savoie Hill, CPC #stretchyourhorizons