The HUSTLE Video Series Episode 27 – Face to face beats screen to screen

In the current age of technology face to face meetings are becoming a rarity.

We continually use social media, video calls, emails, texts, and a million other digital was to communicate but nothing beats a good old-fashioned meeting. I don’t deny that these methods of communication have a place in our lives but they shouldn’t replace real connections. There are several reasons to consider in-person meetings or at least phone calls, particularly in sales. A few of these reasons are;

It’s personable and often preferred.
If you have a great personality and want to build relationships with your clients, you’ll do a hundred times better face to face. It gives you the opportunity to connect on a personal level and, depending on your target demographic, many still prefer a phone call or meeting.

It’s faster!
Texting seems efficient but on average a person can type approximately 30 to 40 words per minute. If you use Siri, talk to text, or something similar it might be faster however you’re likely spending time to fix typos or looking foolish when you say the wrong thing. If you meet in person or pick up the phone, you are likely talking 150 – 180 words per minute. The conversation that drags on and is filled with interruptions while texting could be wrapped up quickly in a phone call.

Tone & body language.
We’ve all read a text message or email in the client’s voice and in a specific tone. The content is often misinterpretations when trying to judge tone without hearing or seeing someone. When we react to a tone that we’ve interpreted incorrectly, it is easy to escalate nothing into something. And even better than hearing the tone of voice is also reading the body language of your client. It gives you the opportunity to react as needed and also to pick up subtle nuances that can lead to a better relationship as well as the opportunity to serve or solve problems that you may not have discovered in a text. The quality of communication is much much higher.

So stop typing, set down your phone and go meet someone. Face to face. In real life.