6 Business Relationship-Building Ideas During the Time of Social Distancing

Building stronger business and team relationships have changed a lot over the last few months. Everything was easier when we were able to walk to our colleague’s desk and ask a question. Brainstorming was done over coffee in the conference room. We had a number of corporate events to go to, learn new things and network and be social. Most of us are working from home and keeping our distance everywhere else. Since doing nothing in the era of innovation is not an option, you should find ways to do all of this, but online.

Give a call to your business associates

Every person is going through a different set of emotions currently. Even if we’ve worked from home before, this time is definitely different. It’s different because you could socialize outside of work hours with people somewhere in public. Now, we’re all advised against it because it’s not safe. In order to deepen your business relationships, give every one of your business partners, and associates a call. Don’t email, or chat, because these things are expected. Everyone will be touched by your compassion and the time you set aside to ask them personally how they’re handling this situation.

Adapt your social media strategy

It might be time to analyze your scheduled content and give it a second thought. If it doesn’t align with the current trends, you should temporarily put it on hold. Especially if you’re closing down your office and moving everything online, from commerce to consultations, depending on your line of business. You should use your social media channels to share reliable news, educate people and . Talk about reliable news and let the world know that you’re doing your work online.

Don’t cancel your corporate event

If the annual corporate event is something every one of your employees anticipates and looks forward to, you can still hold it online. Online events are the new normal in the era of social distancing. All you have to do is team up with an innovative event management company and discuss your options. You can take your employees on an immersive digital experience and still respect the social distancing. You can alter the type of event a nit and offer something informative and educational as an online workshop as well. Either way, you can still hold your event with a few simple adjustments.

Schedule official Zoom calls

Regular video calls can almost substitute a regular day at the office. Just make it known to all your employees that you’ll be discussing important things over video calls. First, this will keep up the team spirit. Secondly, if you schedule a Zoom call early on, you’ll force slackers to wake up and show up. But, that shouldn’t be the main goal behind this. Thirdly, you won’t have any misunderstanding because you’ll discuss everything directly to and with your team. Written words can be misinterpreted sometimes or even misunderstood. Your main goal is to make sure that business is run as usual and that tasks are taken seriously. 

…and also unofficial social calls

You can be creative and host Friday unofficial Zoom calls. If casual Fridays, office birthdays or happy hours are part of your corporate culture, you should keep doing them. With unofficial Zoom calls, you can celebrate a colleague’s birthday or have casual happy hours. People need to feel like they belong to a group even when they work from home. Physical distance is easily overcome when everyone is talking freely on Zoom or other conferencing tools. Also, if someone from your team isn’t into this, you should respect their boundaries. But, you should also remind them every time because they will eventually say yes when their mood changes. 

Help your community

Difficult times are ideal to build a better brand image by giving back to those in need. You can support your local small businesses by buying from them online. If you’re looking for a way to show your humane side, you can ask your employees to volunteer and supply senior citizens with groceries. You can do the same for your employees, especially for those with small children. If working from home and entertaining small children is in the mix, you and your colleagues can step in and do grocery shopping for them. 

COVID-19 is forcing every business owner to adapt their business to the new-normal and endure until things go back to normal. The main goals are to keep up the team spirit and ensure the business is operating properly. These tips will help you maintain your business relationship sand even build stronger bonds.