Business is conducted at light speed these days. Technology has enabled a wide range of communication possibilities like instant messaging, text, and video conferencing, and since most everybody has a mobile phone, there are few barriers to connecting. From the reception desk to the c-suite, people in business opt for the fastest way to connect when they need answers.

However, if you have been on either end of a cyber-miscommunication, you know how easy it is to misread or misrepresent what’s being said. If you can’t see a person’s face, you can’t read their body language. You just don’t know how they are really responding. An emoticon can only say so much, after all. This is why face-to-face communication in the age of technology is becoming even more important than it ever was.

It’s faster than you think it is

You might think that meeting in person is a slower way to go, but if you have to revisit that conversation again, or if you lose the deal entirely, expedience will be a non-issue. Meetings don’t have to be filled with platitudes and small talk. If you are clear on the meeting subject then you should be able to get down to business much faster. You will have the benefit of being able to gauge interest, responses, tone of voice, and body language, which all add up to a more meaningful connection.

In person meetings build trust

These days, we are used to dealing with online support, AI robots on the help desk, and exchanging emails back and forth – but if you’ve never met the person face-to-face, do they even exist? To be fair, there is often another person on the other end, but it’s very difficult to build a sense of trust or shared mission without that personal connection. This is why the world’s top companies still send their sales teams out to locations. Real people do business with real people, not machines. In some countries, like China, for instance, business decisions are made in person, not over a video feed. Their top businessmen and women need to establish trust and will not do business with anyone they have not met with in person.

Virtual meetings create barriers

Even if you’re using Google Hangouts or Skype for Business to conduct your weekly scrum, the technology creates a barrier you may not be aware of. Especially for meetings with multiple attendees or when conducting a company-wide meeting, individuals might find it easy to disengage, negating the very purpose of the meeting itself. Even for small groups, you may lose people if they aren’t an active part of the discussion or if they don’t feel anybody is paying attention to them. Meeting in person removes these barriers so that all stakeholders can engage in real-time.

Technology doesn’t empathize

Emotional connection is important. It’s a big reason why we connect with ideas, people, products, advertising, and media in general. But empathy is a two-way street. By meeting in person, you will be able to foster trust and empathy with the other person, which are by all accounts essential components of a successful business venture.

In conclusion, today’s technology provides us with many ways to connect, but in person meetings provide value above and beyond expedience. Use your tech to connect the dots on a day-to-day basis but save your more important discussions for when you can meet up in person.

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