Sam Androsky:

Welcome back to Next Level. I'm your host, Samantha Androsky and in this episode, I have Shante Fields here with me as my guest. Shante is an experienced business developer and the founder of Marshall Fields Consulting. In this episode, Shante shares her perspective on networking in the pandemic era. How to stand out in a virtual meeting and her advice on whether to take a pass or join in on the next virtual networking event on your calendar. With that said, let's jump in.

Sam Androsky:

Hey Shante, how's it going?

Shante Fields:

I'm good, Sam, how are you?

Sam Androsky:

I'm doing good.

Shante Fields:

Good.

Sam Androsky:

You started your own management consulting company in December 2019. Started building some momentum with your client list and then, two months later, the pandemic hit and the whole world got turned upside down. What was going through your head at that moment?

Shante Fields:

"What the?" That's literally what I was saying to myself, especially in my line of work, where I'm out meeting people and building and cultivating relationships. It was obviously, an upset to the way I do business and the way I've had to conduct business for my clients and prospects, but it required me to rethink that process. I don't like to use the word pivot, but I'm going to use the word pivot. I had to pivot, I had to consider what my client's needs were and figure out a way of continuing to help them solve those needs. And like most companies, you have to think about what's next? How do I keep going? How do I keep the lights on? How do I keep my clients satisfied? So, I don't think there are too many industries that did not have a deer in the headlight moment when COVID struck.

Sam Androsky:

So what's been the hardest part in adjusting to this virtual world as a business developer, which is a role that has always really been seen as a face-to-face job?

Shante Fields:

Yes, that definitely has been a heavy lift for me because I'm a people person. I love being outside. I love being face-to-face with people in a room, in a crowd, just the energy of it all. So for me, being the type of person that I am, the most difficult thing I had to do, was rethink how to deliver those services to my clients and how to help them stay in front of their clients? And so obviously, like we are today, we're not in the same room, we're virtual. So we had to start having meetings that way, trying to get introductions that way. So it was just a matter of just rethinking and retooling, how you conduct business and how you support your clients.

Sam Androsky:

So a lot of business owners struggle with which networking events are worth their time, especially in this new virtual setting. If a business owner is sitting at their desk at 4:55 PM, trying to decide whether they want to log into that 5:00 networking call, what advice would you give them?

Shante Fields:

I give the same advice to my peers and my clients for in-person events. If you are not feeling that event and you've just had a rough day and you just know for a fact, your best self will not shine through, don't do it, because that's that first impression you're going to leave. You're not going to be able to go back and say, "Oh, I had a bad day on Tuesday. Can we still meet for coffee?" If you're in a crowd and you're grumbling about your day with two or three people surrounded at a table, I don't care how many cocktails you have in your hand, it's going to leave a bad impression.

Shante Fields:

So if you're just not feeling that, I want to meet new people vibe, it's not even about growing the business, I want to meet new people. If I don't feel like I'm in tip top form and my best self is not going to shine through, then I'm going to say, forego it, regardless of the cause. A lot of times we hear, "Oh well, I paid for that event." Sometimes it can be more detrimental to go to an event, especially when you're on virtually, because you really have to make sure your true, authentic self shines through virtually. So I'd tell people to reconsider it, it's not necessarily a bad thing to say, "I've had a rough day, I'm just going to wrap it up and go home."

Sam Androsky:

What tips do you have for following up with people after virtual events? Because it is a little different, you're not getting handed a business card, you're just meeting face-to-face via Zoom.

Shante Fields:

Yep. So one of the things that have been an important business owner tool, as well as a business developer tool, is LinkedIn. I'm a fan of reaching out to people, "Hey, I saw you were in this networking group, but I didn't get a chance to speak to you one-on-one. Would love to connect and potentially, set aside 15 minutes, 30 minutes." I think we've gotten better at carving out smaller chunks of our time to meet with people, than before. Because if you think about it, a coffee meeting, you have to travel to the meeting, then you have the meeting, then you have to travel back. If it's in the middle of the day, you got to stop what you're doing, which will interrupt and you got to travel to the event.

Shante Fields:

So I think having that virtual conversation, affords us a little bit more of a luxury that we didn't have pre-COVID. So I'm one of those people, I'll look you up on LinkedIn and if we didn't exchange numbers within the networking event, then I use most of my online resources like LinkedIn to make that connection because it doesn't stop there. It doesn't stop when the event ends, you still have to do the follow-up. "Hey, I enjoyed our conversation. Let's make sure we stay connected. Do you have time in the next couple of weeks?" People are still planning their schedule a month, six weeks out, that has not stopped. So it's similar to what you would have done if you exchanged business cards, just a little bit different, but it's still, that follow-up is required to build your network.

Sam Androsky:

So tech disasters happen to the best of us on virtual calls, whether it's that Texas attorney that couldn't get the cat filter off or being logged in just under a crazy name in a Zoom call. What advice do you have on how to set yourself up for success when attending a virtual networking event or meeting?

Shante Fields:

Oh, my gosh. So one of the teams that I work with, the business owner has required, mandated, jump on the call at least five minutes before the call starts. That way, you can test your audio, you can test your lighting, your sound around you. It just helps to work out, you can see whether or not your kid had on a different background filter before you jump in. It's just getting in the habit of, you know what? If you were going to a meeting face-to-face, you'd check the mirror? Do I have anything in my teeth? You do that little check before you walked into the meeting, it's the same thing. It's the same thing. They may not be able to see the salad in your teeth, but you're still doing the pre-check before the meeting.

Shante Fields:

So, that's the biggest thing, technology isn't going anywhere. If anything, we're going to continue to incorporate it into how we do business and how we conduct business. So it's just a matter of getting used to it. I also suggest, spending time on different platforms, Microsoft Teams, for example, not everyone is using it. You hear Zoom, you hear GoToMeeting, but Microsoft Teams is a little bit more unfamiliar. Practice. I remember when this all started, my husband, I said, "Let's get on a Teams meeting." Because he had never worked with Teams inside of his office.

Shante Fields:

And now that they were out of the office, they were required to use Teams. So that's to me, the easiest way to overcome that tech fear, is to just practice, even if it's with your kid or your relative, just start working on the technology, because it's not going anywhere. It really isn't. If anything, like I said before, the people that I'm speaking with, the business owners, the leaders, they're looking to continue to incorporate it into their business model. That's just how it is.

Sam Androsky:

So you're one of those people who has a personality that really radiates, even through a computer screen. What tips do you have for business owners, on how to stand out and show off their personality, even at a virtual networking event or meeting? And why is it so important that they do that?

Shante Fields:

I'm going to answer the end of that first. It's important because that's your first impression. I want to just drill it in, it's your first impression. So it's really important that people get to see your authentic self. Yes, I'm loud and boisterous, I use hand movements, hand gestures, that doesn't stop just because I'm on a computer, as you can see right now, as we're talking. So don't stop that, don't feel like you have to stick your hands in your lap and you can't laugh, you can't jump into a conversation. Because I know if I'm at a networking event and you say something hilarious, I'm going to jump in there.

Shante Fields:

But take those same qualities, if you were in-person and just keep them going if you're on camera. That part should always shine through, that part should always be what your additional web attendees, that's what they're going to see and so that should just always be the same. I know it's easier said than done. If you're quiet, you're reserved, don't be what you're not, do not be what you're not, do not be the comedian, if that's not your style or if that's not your personality. Continue to be yourself and however you would act, if you were in a room at a convention center, make sure you take that with you when you're on a Zoom call or any other type of online networking event.

Sam Androsky:

So what does the future of networking look like to you? Do you think we're going back to in-person and abandoning Zoom forever? Or is there really a hybrid model that you foresee working in the future?

Shante Fields:

I was just on a coffee call this morning. I started my morning at 9:00 with an organization in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am upset that I did not embrace the ability to get outside of my region before now, but 2021, it's been about for me, a focus of outside of the Baltimore market. If I can attend a Boston event virtually, that's what I'm going to do. If I can attend a Florida event virtually, that's what I'm going to do. But I bring it up because we were on the call this morning and all of us as marketers, we were saying, "We hope it doesn't go away because it allows us that versatility and the ability to reach people outside of our physical zip code, that we normally wouldn't be able to contact and stay in touch with." And as we know here, these past few days and months and everything, we're reaching outside of our zip code, we're reaching outside of our state lines. Most of our business model, is outside of state lines.

Shante Fields:

So just keeping that going forward, not completely wrapping up the whole virtual, "Oh, you know what? We're done with Zoom, shut the computer down. Let's go." Some of the events are going to be great hybrid, for example, your panel discussions. I can easily see those as being a hybrid model, especially once you get the technology and the resources onboard. But me personally, I can't wait to get back in-person. There is nothing like wrapping up the end of your day with a beverage, seeing people that you really, really miss and hugging and catching up. But I think most of us are wishing for a hybrid.

Shante Fields:

And I think those of us, who are part of professional organizations that put on networking events, I think we're going to work to make sure that we don't completely throw Zoom and virtual interactions, by the wayside. Because it's such a need and we've seen how beneficial it can be. I'm pretty sure, January of 2020, people were like, "Oh, I don't want to do this Zoom call." Now they're just like, "Okay, let's set up this Zoom meeting with this potential client." We're having to reframe how we do business, so it's not going to go away. I don't think we're going to let it go away.

Sam Androsky:

Well, Shante, thank you for coming on Next Level and sharing some of your story and perspective.

Shante Fields:

Thank you so much.