Observe the image below which has an in person client meeting on one side and virtual meeting on the other side.
Now answer to yourself
- Which one is more humanistic?
- in which scenario you think client would pause the incoming phone call?
- in which scenario you think client would be easily able to cut the conversation?
- which scenario reminds the client or you of the time to end the meeting and push the conversation to fit into the slot?
While there are pros and cons for both in-person meetings and virtual meetings, in-person meetings are preferred by more than 80% of the executives as per a Forbes study.
We too lean on in person or face -face meetings for a strong business relationship with our clients especially during the beginning of the sales cycle.
A point from DeepTalk Sales episode 1
In our first episode of DeepTalk Sales, you can hear the echo of in person meetings and why they should be preferred by sales people while there are other ways of reaching clients.
Mr.Ravi Nair highlighted, in person meetings give scope for conversations on soft topics which are of course beyond business but can help figure out more commonalities with our prospects and our clients. He advises people to avoid discussing politics with clients.
Imagine – a friend paying a visit to you at your home and a friend who is chatting with you over the phone. Would you make the person in front of you wait for the chat to be completed or would you tell the person on the chat that you would reconnect on the chat after attending to your friend who came down to meet you. This is a simple psychology of humans and people in our business world or no different.
Behaviour of an individual – Online vs. in person
Online behaviour of an individual is definitely different from his/her behaviour while talking to someone in person. Contrary to virtual selling/meetings which are time bound and with notifications or alerts on the screen, in person meetings have an edge to secure a little extra time when required to complete your point or the presentation for the meeting.
Advantages of in person meetings –
- They encourage engagement and participation of the clients better than online meetings.
- They offer non verbal clues like Body language, gestures, facial expressions to understand the interest of the client on your product or service or the way he/she is receiving you
- Rejection is easier in virtual meetings than in face -to-face meetings which gives a little extra time for prospects to think about your proposal for a second time if required.
- They help build strong business relationships which are crucial for b2b selling.
Conclusion –
while virtual meetings are cost and time effective, in person meetings are undeniable for the weightage they carry in building business relationships. Go for them whenever and wherever possible.
