Why there is no substitute for face to face meetings

With a rapid number of businesses embracing the use of digital channels for communicating, it can often be difficult to find the time for face to face meetings. However this vital form of communication may appear to be, below we lay out why you shouldn’t discount this effective use of communication.

1. Body language

It‘s easy for things to be misconstrued when sent via email or through other forms of communication. When speaking face-to-face you’re able to pick up on a person’s body language, which more often than not, communicates what it is they’re actually saying. Turns out 93% of communication effectiveness is determined by non-verbal cues, making talking face-to-face more important than ever. By meeting face to face all people present should feel they are leaving the meeting on the same page, fully understanding what is needed. It can also prevent information from being taken the wrong way.

2. Personal

The use of online tools for correspondence has proved very useful for business success, due to the fact it’s quick, always on and not location dependent; however it can lack a personal touch. When you meet someone face to face, you can create a connection with the person in turn making the discussion more memorable.  At the end of the day people do business with people, not entities.

3. Efficient

Time is precious, and money, to many, especially an entrepreneur! Whilst it may appear that face to face meetings are less efficient and a drain on your precious time so are often cast aside in favour of sending multiple emails, they can actually be a more efficient use of your time. This is because face to face meetings tend to be shorter due to a greater pressure to get to the point, giving you more time to focus on the actions that derive from it.

4. Visible

A large majority of people are visual learners, which means following along with conversations over the phone make it easy for some people to miss a point and, at times, difficult to follow the conversation. Not only can people follow speakers visually in a face to face meeting, presentations can be displayed for clarification too; allowing everyone to leave on the same page.

5. Listening

Whilst conference calls are all well and good, you can’t always tell if people are giving you their full concentration, and emails present the issues of getting lost in overflowing inboxes. In a face to face meeting however, it’s much easier to tell who is listening and taking on board what you’re saying.