In the ten days that most of us have been working from home, I’ve been asked almost daily how I stay connected.

Working from home in these difficult times has its advantages and disadvantages. While there is no commute time to meet current and prospective clients face to face meetings are the most productive.

I usually had an early morning meeting or lunch meetings at a Nudy’s, Corner Bakery, Market Street Grill, etc. but with those closed and not able to meet face to face those meetings are out of the question.

Here are my recommendations:

• Pick up the phone and call people that you may not have been contact for some time. Stop the texting speak to people.  Find out how they are doing and see if there is anything that you can do to be of help for them.
• Schedule video meetings with services like Zoom, Google Meet, etc. so you are having face to face contact. I am trying to schedule at least one each day.
• Take time to go through your LinkedIn connections. You will be amazed how many of your contacts have switched companies or took a new position within their company.  Drop them a note to see how you could be of help to them now and in the future.
• Use other social media tools to keep in touch. Each day on my Facebook page a share a humorous story to keep people positive versus reading negative depressing news.
• Sending personal notes and cards while some may find old fashioned it’s another way to share your thoughts that will make impact. Birthdays, new jobs, loss of a loved one your thoughts would be appreciated in these difficult times.

While being a social guy, these restrictions have made it difficult to grow my own business but it’s also a time to do the little things that we tend to forget when we are busy.

The most important rule of networking cannot be forgotten, it’s all about what you can do to help someone, not what they can do for you.

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Bob Madonna retired as President and CEO from Surrey Services for Senior in January and is now the Managing Partner for Diversified Services LLC, a boutique business advisory firm that works with for, and nonprofit organizations to grow and prosper.