Screen time vs. Face time: which is the business tool for 2016?
Having the ability to use small talk effectively is one of the most important and yet rarely acknowledged business tools for fostering business relations. Small talk allows you to search for common ground and get a sense of who a person is before proceeding in a way that will make them comfortable and therefore make you memorable to them. Unfortunately this is something that is completely lost in this digital age of screen time over face time, and because of this so many relations get misconstrued or great opportunities get lost or overlooked.
Body language is non-existent behind a screen
Online communications are quick and easy, but there is a definite disconnect. Valuable time wasted travelling out of the office to meet someone, or taking time out from a busy day to attend a meeting is avoided, but by sidestepping real time contact we have forgotten about the importance of the sub-conscious communication of body language and gesticulations. Online, a polite decline of a proposal can be easily confused for non-co-operation. In a face to face dialogue, the subtleties of the true message are quite easily read through body language, tone of voice and facial expression. Emotion is hard to hide and speaks volumes about what is not being verbally articulated.
Sending off an email response is quick and easy, but it also gives a person a lot of time to think about what to say and how best to say it – or to ignore it altogether. Speaking with someone directly means that both parties will have to react immediately to what is being said, making it much easier to gauge the best way to proceed – with enthusiasm or caution.
Get personal and listen well
Putting a face to a name can often instil a measure of trust in a person. In an email exchange it is easier to disregard a person’s contribution to a discussion if you don’t agree with what they are saying, however if you have met the person and can put a name and possibly even a few personality traits to their response, you may be more inclined to take more time to consider their response. With people receiving so many emails a day, without the benefit of having met someone, you become just a number on a list of mails to be responded to. It’s very difficult to build a rapport with a company when you are just one of hundreds trying to get their attention without using your personality to stick in the mind of the people you want to do business with.
Being able to really listen to someone is a useful tool that can never be emulated through an online discussion and it can lend itself to a feeling of trustworthiness from the person who is doing the talking. If you are able to listen well, more often than not you will be provided with more information than you would ever get from a digital exchange.
Never underestimate the value of face-time over screen time. While as a business tool you can cast your net far wider with emails and instant messages, constructively conversing with people across the world, coupling it with real time interactions can provide countless more opportunities for stronger, healthier business relationships. It also gets you away from your computer and connecting with the world around you.
