STEP AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER

Last week, while visiting with hundreds of customers and potential customers at the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) annual meeting and convention —one of the largest industry trade shows — my week was interrupted briefly by a Facebook communication that I read from one of the many young “friends/family” that I’ve added during the last year. The message went something like this (I’ll paraphrase to spare you the language): “Those of you that have liked (insert name of presidential candidate)’s Facebook page — you can all go to he##.”

I’ve known the author of this post since birth and I’ve always considered him to be quite reserved and polite in person. I couldn’t even have imagined this individual being confrontational prior to this communication! Yet, given the ability to post a communication on Facebook without any consequences or feedback, he was not only confrontational — he was rude and crude. I would guess that many people have changed their opinions of this person, and perhaps have even chosen to stop communicating with him as a result of his comments.

Electronic communications can be effective, but there are many dangers in the different types of available communication methods. Some forms of social media that allow us to comment on things anonymously are void of personal responsibility (and sometimes reason). Other forms of communication such as Facebook and Twitter often detach us from the people we are speaking to or comment on. Even direct communications such as texting and e-mail come with pitfalls that subject our messages to possible misinterpretation or misrepresentation.

When we allow ourselves to rely exclusively on electronic forms of communication for business, we are missing out on many elements that enhance the communication experience. We also risk affecting our communication skills and our relationships with our customers adversely.

As more and more “methods” of communication come in to play, I am convinced that it’s more important than ever to actually visit your clients face to face.

From a business and sales perspective, the benefits that result from face-to-face communications can be critical. Things like body language, eye contact, a gentle touch on the elbow or tap on the shoulder can communicate compassion, feeling and sincerity — something you just don’t get in an e-mail or text message.

At NBAA, my visits with clients, introductions to new potential clients, lunch meetings with customers and discussions with readers continued to remind me of the value of face-to-face communication. Time and again, I came away feeling that I know our customers and readers that much better — that I know their business that much better, and that they know something about me and the product that we offer.

Following the trade show, I took the opportunity to visit a customer I had known for some time. I figured it was way past due that I actually saw where my client’s office was and get a better idea about how the company conducts business.

My visit started with a tour of the facility, followed by a history lesson about how the company got started and a comprehensive description and demonstration about how its product worked. To my surprise, I learned that there were many aspects to my client’s business of which I was unaware! In fact, I will admit that until I saw all of the aspects of the business first hand, I would never have had a grasp of just how its product helps our readers. It follows that better knowledge of the company’s product enable me to help it develop a more effective marketing campaign and connect with new opportunities to communicate with our readers. The result, I would hope, will be new business for them and hopefully for our magazine as well.

We can sit in our office at our computers all day and e-mail or send messages via Facebook and Linkedin — but we will never know our clients like we can if we visit them. Whether at a trade show or at their office, face-to-face meetings are critical. If it’s impossible for us to visit, we should at least consider choosing a phone call over electronic communications.

Do you step away from your computer to learn about your customers with face-to-face visits?

Thanks for reading!

Greg Napert, Proud to be an A&P