Face to Face Contact Still Matters in Business

Conference calls, web conferences and video conference are used on a daily basis all over the world. They provide a cost effective way of holding meetings, eliminating the need to travel and arrange suitable meeting places.  There are many advantages for holding virtual conferences and they certainly have their place in business, but in-person contact should not be discounted as a valuable way of meeting with clients and business partners.

Reading Body Language
Face to face meetings allow you to read body language, watch the facial expressions and maintain eye contact. This gives you a great advantage as you’re able to pick up on signals, allowing you to react accordingly depending on the response you’re receiving.  Being able to read people is vital when you’re trying to build support, persuade potential investors or partners, strengthen relationships or become a firm leader.
Engaging Your Audience
When you speak to someone via a computer it can be difficult to retain their attention, they’re surrounded by distractions. If they’re talking to you from their home they could have pets or people coming and going, someone could knock on the door or their phone could ring, they may simply be browsing online or checking their emails as you talk. You don’t have their engagement and as a result you could lose their interest very quickly. Face to face meetings allow you to take control of the conversation and have better control of the environment. It’s harder for the attendees to say no too!
Natural Conversation
If your meeting is designed to share ideas and create new direction the face to face contact will encourage natural conversational flow. You’ll be able to move the conversation on naturally, leading from one topic to the next, bouncing off ideas and generating excitement and passion. When using a virtual meeting tool it’s harder for everyone to have the opportunity to get involved in the conversation. Rather than working as a team the meeting takes on the feel of a lecture, with you doing all the talking and picking out people to speak rather than giving everyone the opportunity of getting involved.
A Better Way to do Business
Many people prefer to conduct business in person, especially if you’re hoping for them to partner up with you or invest in your business. They will want to see if you are the type of person they’ll enjoy doing business with and develop a working relationship with you, the individual, and not just a name and a voice. Connections can be developed much faster with a simple face to face meeting. Once the deal has been formed it’s easier to move onto virtual platforms and maintaining the relationship that was created as a result of personal interaction.
There are other reasons why you shouldn’t neglect the advantages of face to face meetings such as:

• Building trust
• Letting your passion sell the product
• Building a team
• Showcasing prototypes

Holding a meeting at the Lane end Conference Centre will show you’re a serious contender, someone who cares about their colleagues and partners and who isn’t afraid to develop powerful relationships for the benefit of everyone.