Could Meeting Face-to-Face Be Your Business Secret Weapon?

Have you ever communicated with someone by email or phone for months, or even years, and then finally met them? One of you probably said something like ”It’s lovely to finally meet, and put a face to the name”. Why do we think that? Why does it feel different (and usually better) to be eyeball to eyeball , rather than connected by phone or computer? Technology has changed the way we communicate. Forever. It’s allowed us to cheaply, efficiently and quickly interact with large numbers of people. It’s massively enhanced productivity, and is brilliant for serving up fresh, interesting information to keep people interested until they’re ready to buy. But if you sell your product or service in the real world, and you’re relying entirely on virtual communication, you might be missing out on a big chunk of opportunity. Did you know that 87% of professionals believe face-to-face meetings are essential for sealing a business deal?* Or that 47% of business owners say they have lost a contract or a client because they didn’t meet them face-to-face enough?* Even more surprisingly, that 80% of Gen Y’s prefer face-to-face meetings when communicating with colleagues?** It’s because you can never quite replace meeting someone in the flesh. And here’s why. Our brains are specifically designed to interpret the myriad of non-verbal cues that are available in face-to-face communication. Take most of those cues away, and we struggle to receive a complete, nuanced message. That’s why it’s so much easier to make a faux pas in an email than in person. Meeting face-to-face has many benefits, including: Emotion Body language, facial expression and vocal tone account for 93% of the meaning we derive from face-to-face communication. Only 7% of the meaning comes from the actual words. There’s a huge amount of message subtlety that’s missing when we lose most of that 93%. Credibility and trust Trust is built faster and more effectively in person. People feel more confident in assessing your skills and credibility face-to-face. And in business, trust = money. Personality and culture Personal meetings allow you to show personality and humour – people get to know the real you more quickly. Stronger relationships Face-to-face meetings help you to converse on a deeper level. They foster a better understanding of needs, and a higher level of engagement and attention. Instant Feedback In person, you’ll get instant feedback on how well you’re ideas are being received, and the opportunity to quickly reframe if you’re not getting the response you’re looking for. Memorability People are perceived as more persuasive when they are both seen and heard, and consequently their message is much more likely to be remembered. What does this mean for your business? Fortunately you don’t have to choose between technology and face-to-face communications. They complement each other, so you can have the best of both. Each type of communication gives a slightly different experience of you and your brand. If you wisely and consistently co-ordinate your virtual conversations with what you do in the real world, you’ll get maximum traction. Ignore the benefits of old style face time, and you might be missing out on faster business growth. *Servcorp Good Business Study 2013 **USC Marshall School of Business Oct 2013