Face-to-Face Still Trending

I’m writing this on the plane returning from two days of solid networking. As much as technology has connected us through video conferencing, Skype and countless equivalents, there is nothing as productive in the short term as face-to-face contact. The words authentic, honest and purposeful are becoming increasingly valued in today’s business world. And they are qualities that are not easily demonstrable on an online platform.

Not that I don’t love online relationships. They are a ‘must have’ to connect us quickly and globally. If you aren’t using LinkedIn or social media appropriate to your business, you are missing branding and sales opportunities. But research tells us that we need around 13 touch points to build interest in our brand or product, which explains our inability to keep up with our inboxes. Where do people find time to send or program three messages a day, the number of emails I am currently receiving from one “salesman”?

 KEEP IT REAL: As we adjust to the impact technology is having on our lives, it is important to remember that we are social beings.

When you get up close and personal, 13 touch points is reduced to three. In a one-on-one meeting, if you mean what you say and you can ‘walk your talk’, you begin to build a relationship after 60 seconds.

Lissie Turner is a communications expert, an ex-triple J breakfast presenter and was the guest speaker at the Byron and Beyond Networking breakfast, just one of the two events and nine meetings my Hunter Collective collaborator Heidi Pollard and I covered in just under 50 hours. “Communication is how we weave together, how we find our tribe,” she shared. “Open your mouth to speak, close your mouth to listen and speak honestly and with heart”. Great advice.

As we adjust to the impact technology is having on our ever increasingly busy lives, it is important to remember that ultimately, we are social beings.