Some business people say that we don’t need face to face meetings any longer. They tell me that email, phone calls, social media and video are just effective.
Bah-Hum Bug!
In my mind, there is nothing in the business world that can replace an in person meeting. Social media, email and video phone calls are a good way to start a relationship or continue one, but only an in person meeting will soldify it. That is why I frequently jump on airplanes to build by business. People don’t really get to know you until you have sat in a room or shared a meal with them.
You will learn alot more about your customer in person. You will see where they work and who they interact with. Personal insights can be retrieved from social media, but business insights live in their office.
People do business with who they know like and trust….and that means seeing them in person. This can be your competitive edge.
It depends on the person. Some people absolutely insist on in person meetings. Other people – like me – have no need to ever meet in person. I prefer to only work with the most brilliant people in ever specialty and the odds of them ever being in the same place are slim and none. I can tell more about them online than most can tell by meeting in person.