Recent innovations have given businesses a new dynamic within the virtual world. However, for those who take more of a hands-on approach, conference calls and online meetings may leave you and your business feeling a little unloved. Of course, the technological revolution has streamlined business in ways previously unimagined but there is also a reason that the richest men in the world have personal fleets of trains, planes and automobiles.
The reason is that face-to-face interaction is still extremely important for prospective entrepreneurs in both personal and business relationships. This concept is even more pertinent when large contracts need to be agreed on and new customers wooed with the corporate equivalent of dinner and a movie. Psychologists agree that face-to-face contact plays a large part in successful relationships and this concept is beginning to creep back into the consciousness of successful businessmen around the world. Here, speed and accessibility are of no consequence – it is quality time with customers that is the key.
The advent of Skype and other conference calling systems has served to weaken relations previously made with customers and organisations, loosening the bonds of trust and creating a market of generic, pixelated personalities. As human beings, we use gesture and body language as a large part of our communication system and this means decisions are made quicker and with more assurance for all those involved. Individuals are often quite lost within the virtual world, desperately trying to validate ambiguous messages with smileys and other anthropomorphic symbols.
Pioneers in People
It seems an odd concept to suggest that business leaders who still use the more personable approach are now archaic. In fact, it would be more pertinent to suggest that they are in fact pioneers in humanism, ensuring that business is not simply the interaction of machines on separate continents.
The beauty of this problem is that it is, in essence, easy to fix. Those looking for a solution won’t have to agree to hours of relationship counselling in their efforts to re-ignite the business flame. It is simply a matter of taking a more personal approach and organising your meeting in the physical world.
So the next time you plan an important meeting with a client or customer, why not take the personal approach. Of course, if it’s still difficult to tear yourself away from the comfort of the office then you can always take the edge off with a chauffeur driven limousine and reach your destination in style, no matter if it’s Paris or London. Here, you can enjoy the best of both worlds as you meet your client without having to bear the elements. You might even come away with a warm and satisfying sense of well-being.