Interested in getting the most out of global, digital and hybrid networking – and carrying your company’s communications into the future? Alicia Lewis of the MD Group shares three top tips.
Business is global. That much is fact. From companies growing and spreading across multiple continents to the technology that allows us to have real-time meetings with global delegates, distance has never meant so little when it comes to sealing a deal.
It’s not just the infrastructure of our business that needs to adapt to this increasingly global stage, however. Each individual member of a business needs to consider their effectiveness on a global scale – not least of all PAs.
Networking comes naturally to PAs, from progressing personal careers to meeting the ideal suppliers. However, while you may have your networking pattern and follow-up routine down to a fine art in the world of conventional events, thinking globally means thinking outside the box.
1 Get in with the right groups
Keeping an eye on the networking groups and organisations available online will certainly get you ahead of the game when it comes to globalising your opportunities. While online publications such as PA Life offer services such as supplier and venue searches online, they also advertise in-person events, where you can meet fellow members and gain industry-specific insights.
Becoming a member of an online PA association is a brilliant way to open the door for new networking opportunities. However, not every platform will suit your needs. Check out your full range of options before signing up to everything, and ensure that you subscribe to one or two quality leads, rather than paying for a plethora of private forums that you’ll rarely use.
2 Get social media savvy
While much digital networking takes place across purpose-built sites, curated by organisations, neglecting the more informal aspects would be a mistake. Indeed, social media sites from LinkedIn to Facebook and Twitter are hotbeds for burgeoning business relationships and new ideas.
LinkedIn groups for PAs offer the opportunity to share insightful reading material with others, as well as build a custom and ever-expanding network of relevant contacts based on mutual business interests rather than physical proximity. More and more, creating a solid LinkedIn profile implies professionalism and expertise in much the same way a scintillating conversation at a networking event does.
Tweetchats are an invaluable way to meet fellow PAs or industry contacts from across the globe. The succinct 140-character limit of tweets and guiding questions allow you to cut the small chat and get right to the heart of industry issues. Linked by hashtags, the resulting messages offer new insights from different cultural perspectives, while the contacts you ‘meet’ via that chat may become useful allies.
Twitter also gives you a unique opportunity to pose questions to industry leaders, who you might otherwise struggle to find one-on-one time with at an in-person event. By posing a query that shows your own expertise, as well as your appreciation of the recipient’s position, you could spark a conversation that leads to great things.
3 Get yourself to a hybrid meeting
If you’re in your element when you’re at an event, there’s no need to let physical distance hold you back from attending meetings and networking events. The rise of hybrid events means that you can attend talks, panel discussions and roundtables as a digital delegate, getting a unique insight on industry news and key players from around the globe, without leaving your office.
Many hybrid meetings also offer opportunities for attendees – both in person and online – to discuss the contents of the meeting in real time, utilising either a Twitter hashtag or a chat system as part of the meeting platform.
Ensure that you follow up any particularly interesting discussion with an exchange of personal details, allowing you and fellow attendees to build on common ideas and take advantage of new opportunities.
Even if you are planning to attend a meeting in person, the digital aspects of the event can maximise your networking both before, during and after proceedings. If the event in question has a hashtag or associated Facebook event, make sure that you investigate this avenue.
Much of the networking at events begins before the doors are open, with delegates checking in with one another online and arranging to meet in person. Prime a few key contacts before the meeting, then ensure that you continue your conversations at the event itself. This will get your conversation off to a far more productive start than going in uninformed would.
By its very nature, global networking is a constantly changing environment. It pays to keep your ear to the ground and stay aware of the latest networking trends – but by expanding your networking horizons beyond the physical, you can locate the beating heart of global business and work it to your lasting advantage.
Alicia Lewis is a Brighton-based content writer for mdevents. Since 2014, she has been creating content for businesses in the UK and abroad, specialising in business, education and culture
