I’m writing this within days of the 2nd anniversary of the worldwide realization that COVID-19 would change our lives. And boy, have our lives changed! Fortunately, the risk of spreading COVID-19 has gone down, but this article is not about the virus. I want to cover four points to consider as we gradually come back from isolation and resume interpersonal interactions in a business setting. If you are on either end of a sales meeting, whether you are a vendor or a buyer, keep reading. I’m starting from the assumption that you want to meet in person with people that may have different preferences on safety precautions and that you are approaching them with an open mind. You have a solid business reason why you need to meet in person with the other party. Let that drive your mindset for a successful meeting.
It’s also awkward for them
You probably have lots of questions about what will be the future of socially acceptable behavior, just keep in mind that the person/people with whom you are meeting will very likely be on that same page. Err on the side of safety, and gently ask what makes them comfortable. Open the conversation about what would be more conducive to have a successful meeting. You will earn social points with this display of empathy.
Respect each other’s choice
Be open to hear that they may have stricter precautions than yours, required or not, and may ask you to comply. This includes masks, distancing, handshakes, open locations, etc. We don’t need to know their justification, some people will transition faster than others, but we need to let each one decide what makes them comfortable. If your preferences are stricter than theirs, follow yours without explanations. After you get that out of the way, a good sequence line is “I’m glad we handled that well, now let’s focus on business.”
The basics haven’t changed
We keep hearing about “going back to normal” or the “new” normal and nobody knows what that means, but fortunately we haven’t changed: we’re still humans. The outcome of your social interaction will be determined by the display of empathy, honesty, transparency, respect, and care for each other in that meeting – the same way it mattered before COVID. It is your duty as a leader to set the stage by adopting these behaviors and spreading positivity (last I heard, kindness filters easily through KN-95s).
Don’t ditch the diffused lights
Despite Zoom fatigue, in the last two years we all benefited from the flexibility of location and no-commute that videoconferencing provides. It is perfectly acceptable to schedule a Zoom follow-up after your recent in-person meeting. As we resume face-to-face gatherings, don’t be surprised that you will still meet several times a week via videoconferencing with remote team members.
Be kind, communicate, and be respectful. Who knows, maybe one day we will all say “I miss our Zoom meetings!”
