You Cannot Beat Face-to-Face Communication
Today most of your clients, colleagues and stakeholders are just a phone call or email away – technology has made communication that simple. However, while tools like telephones and computers score high on convenience and speed, they lack the warmth that face-to-face communication provides.
Why is visual communication so important? It is the building block to how we perceive a message and connect with people. As we get more efficient at communicating electronically, we tend to forget how much emotion we convey through body language and voice tone.
Studies have shown that a message is conveyed and interpreted by 7% of the words used, 38% by tone of voice, and 55% by body language. For example, as I say the words that I disagree with someone, my tone, my posture, my smile and my eye contact may at the very same time be saying “I value and respect your opinion, even though I disagree with you on this point”.
When using technology to communicate a message, there is a greater risk of that message being diluted in its perception of importance. Employers shouldn’t be surprised if a task assigned to an employee over email is incomplete or late. When you provide information over an email or phone call, the receiver may have a completely different perception of its relevance. Non verbal communication helps individuals understand the importance of a task and allows you to put your point across.
Developing and maintaining a rapport with your customers is essential to the success of any business. This can be difficult over email and phone, and by creating that personal touch you have a greater impact on your customers. Many businesses feel an increased sense of loyalty to a company when there is a strong business relationship. This makes it a lot harder for a company to utilize one of your competitors if they feel a strong connection with you.
The key to successful communication is to use the correct communication method at the right time. Email is great for scheduling and confirming meetings, phone is good for quick conversations that require two-way communication and a memo is preferred for long background pieces. Face-to-face meetings are always best for any discussion requiring true dialogue, rapport building and consensus.
Bottom line, using the right communication tool will lead you to greater success with your colleagues and customers!
Contact Algo for information on their video conferencing solutions, an ideal alternative to face-to-face communications. Plus, learn the five key advantages of video conferencing.
