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We are in a digital age where we can order groceries, tonight’s dinner, and gifts all from the comfort of our living rooms. With more of the workforce working remotely, companies and teams are being built without geographical limitations and meetings can be had with team members or clients halfway around the globe.
Can you really trust to scale your company with important people without getting to know them in person?
Can you build lasting business relationships without meeting clients in person?
Virtual meetings are essential but they do come with some limitations - people not turning on their cameras for example. Or with many participants, each person faces being confined to a grid of thumbnails, making it difficult at times to know who is speaking and read facial expressions. We have all been on calls where there is no clear agenda, one participant’s dog is barking in the background, or someone can’t figure out that tricky unmute button.
In-person meetings are more effective in building relationships. When it comes to sales and key allies, there is no question that in-person meetings go a long way in building an effective relationship. This means if you need to fly somewhere on a whim to meet a contact, you do it. Relationship building in person will always be the most effective way to build a lasting business relationship as it is human nature to care less about someone or something you don’t have a personal connection with.
In-person meetings allow for:
Clearer communication as you can better hear tone, vocal inflections, and read body language. Studies have shown that at least two-thirds of communication is through non-verbal communication such as body language, hand gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions. This can be lost with virtual meetings.
More attentive participants as there is less distraction. With in-person meetings, participants are more engaged instead of checking their emails or scrolling their social media.
More productive meetings. With in-person meetings, there are no connection interruptions or struggles with technology. In-person meetings are much more seamless and fluid.
Builds trust and stronger relationships. Face-to-face communication is seen as more trustworthy and establishes a baseline of trust and understanding. Especially with pitching one’s company or looking to build a strategic partnership, face-to-face meetings increase your chances of achieving your desired outcomes. Face-to-face meetings also create and bolster relationships. They are more conducive to an informal conversation where you can really get to know someone and see their personality. In-person meetings also demonstrate that you value the other person(s) time as you are willing to meet them face-to-face, which may include travel. It shows a greater level of respect and effort than clicking on an invite link.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that in-person meetings lead to stronger and more meaningful business relationships that are built on trust than remote meetings. Face-to-face meetings focus on human connection and create an environment that is free from distractions.
Whether through virtual meetings or in person, at Company Finder, we focus on bridging the gap of human connection and technology and we provide companies access to a trustworthy expert team to assist in achieving growth and success. If you’re interested in learning how we can help, please contact us.
Liam Miller
COO of Company Finder