Getting Closer To Your Ideal Clients - Why Doing Business In Person Is Always Better

Communication is arguably the most important skill any of us will ever possess.  If we are unable to communicate our intention or meaning clearly to others life becomes incredibly difficult.  We live in a busy, time poor world where our clients’ attention is a precious commodity. You need to use that time to your advantage and present your offer in the most compelling way possible.  In order to maximize the chances of getting the results and the client you want, we advocate face to face over virtual meetings every time. Read on and we’ll tell you why.

Everyday in business we need to be able to present information to a range of audiences both inside and outside of the company. Not all of the people we speak to will have an understanding of our work, so being able to communicate with clarity, articulating ideas in a logical, organized and effective way is important.

In our previous blog we discussed the numerous benefits of getting your team together face to face and why meeting in person, in physical locations is better for your team and your business.  This time we are looking at why, if you’re looking to build client relationships or “close a deal”, it’s always better to be in the same room.

Reacting and Responding To Your Clients

Technology has given us convenience and ease but people are beginning to realize that social media platforms are not a replacement for physical human company. The virtual meeting is a quick and dirty way of doing business but is a harder way to build a genuine relationship.

Written communication is just one of a hundred ways we exchange information. Meaning is not conveyed just through the written language we use, but also through a person’s body language. You don’t need to be a body language expert to gauge how your client feels, from their facial expressions or what they are doing with their hands.  Emails, phone calls and skype don’t allow you to read physical signs and cues. Being able to respond and react to these signals is a huge advantage when it comes to building relationships, rapport and, most importantly, trust.  

Being able to interpret body language of people is immensely beneficial. You will be able to understand much more of what your client is actually telling you. For example, if your client tells you that they completely agree with the proposals you have offered, but their body language suggests otherwise, and you are able to spot these signs you can alter or adapt your offer on the spot or try and work out what they would find more amenable.   Being able to respond to your clients needs in this way, in the moment, and taking swift action can be the difference between a potential business relationship progressing or faltering.

Having Your Clients Full Attention

Technology brings both benefits and disadvantages.  Virtual meetings certainly can be convenient in terms of time and cost, but in a world of multitaskers, it is often quite likely that during the meeting your client may be involved in other tasks as well, like checking their emails, and may not be fully concentrating or engaged in what you are saying.

Almost all of us do this sometime or the other, we use emails when we want to ignore some action.

In face to face meetings this is much less likely as people refrain from being so openly rude.  Having your clients full attention is one of the biggest benefits of face to face meetings.

Investing Your Time In The Right Place

Set a meeting date, pick a location, get it done.  Instead of going back and forth sending and receiving emails, meet in person and discuss everything you need to at one time, in one place. This saves time and energy and keeps momentum.   Chasing prospective clients or waiting for replies to calls and emails is a waste of your time and your energy. If you want to land the client you need to reel them in quickly and efficiently.

It is worth remembering that emails or telephone calls are not everyone’s preferred form of communication.  Some people will watch the phone ring thinking “there is nothing you can tell me that couldn’t be said in a text” and some prefer to actually see the person they are communicating with.

Building Trust

Meeting your client in person develops trust and trust is essential to all relationships, including strong business relationships. It is much easier to convince someone during face to face interaction, so if you need to influence or persuade people over an important matter or investment then it is always better to meet them in person.

When people meet in person, communication often becomes a lot more informal. More authentic relationships are built.  You can get so much more out of a person when you are sharing the same space. Some very valuable “off-the-record” conversations can be had making you privy to information that you wouldn’t otherwise get to hear.  Very often people are time precious on the telephone but if someone has made the effort to meet you they have set time aside specifically for you. Use this to your advantage.

Make It Happen

Step out from behind that computer screen and take the time schedule a personal meetings with prospective clients. That one personal meeting may change the trajectory of your future business relationship.  People like to do business with people they know, like and trust and you can only build a limited amount of likability and trust over an exchange of emails.

At Site Selection Services we have many years of developing our own valuable industry relationships by taking the time for face to face meetings with hoteliers across the globe, giving us the unique ability to leverage our relationships to benefit our clients when we go to the negotiating table.  Allow us to use these long term relationships to your benefit and give us the opportunity to meet you face to face and earn your trust to partner and plan your next meeting.