How often do we recite these excuses rather then going to see someone:
It takes too much time and I am very busy.
It is too expensive and I have many other things to do.
It is too long of a trip. What, fly?
It is not worth it.
It is just as good over the phone, or by fax or e-mail.
Excuses, excuses, excuses…to not make a personal visit to do business face to face. In this age of cell phones, e-mail, of course the fax machine, and with our very important and busy schedules, we frequently forget one of the basic principles of doing business successfully…do it in person.
Personal presentation is so much more powerful and successful then any other form of communication, yet we leave the office as seldom as possible and resort to the more convenient forms of communication that are so readily available.
We have forgotten that while the technological age has made communication so much easier, nothing will ever replace the power, effectiveness and success of a face to face conversation, lunch together, a round of golf or any other personal setting one can devise.
Allow me to digress. Years ago I had a business relationship with a distributor who represented my line of manufactured goods. The man owed me a sizable amount of money and agreed to pay me $20,000 per week for a number of months. Every Wednesday I would call to make certain the check “was in the mail” and almost every time he told me, he “couldn’t do it this week, sorry“. I told him I would jump on a plane and be there in a few hours, he was in Detroit I was in Massachusetts.
He would always say, don’t bother there is nothing I can do for you this week. I went anyways and each week I would come home with a check for twenty thousand dollars. This went on until the bill was paid…almost every week. Why? Personal power, my very presence, and I never had to hard collect, just going was adequate. Frequently we would go out for drinks, sometimes I would stay over and visit with him, but I would always leave with a check.
From then on I never forgot the power of personal face time .
Closing a deal, discussing details, creating relationship, selling, collecting, solving problems, scheming, planning whatever the mission is, if it is important then it is best served with a personal presentation…always.
Recently I flew to Florida for a one hour meeting that expanded into lunch and another few hours of getting to know one another. I was inspecting a small business to determine if I wanted to do business with these people. It was possible that they would become an important provider of a specific service I deem very important.
They are a credit rehabilitation company, credit repair, it is sometimes called and since so many of my clients require such service, I felt it necessary to inspect, interview, meet, talk and get to know the staff, the managers, and yes of course the owner, as well as discuss details of our working together.
Much was accomplished as we got to know each other, discussed a wide variety of experiences, opinions, personal matters, history, business strategies, all sorts of things including the specifics of our deal and business relationship.
It was wonderful and we accomplished much more then we all intended. We had lunch together and talked about our wives and children and of course sports, politics, business and what we learned more about what we are each all about.
What a success.
In fact the man was very impressed that I cared enough to come down for personal discussion taking a day out of my busy schedule, indicating not only the importance but my willingness to invest in our meeting and possible business relationship.
It was a huge success and NEVER could have been accomplished over the phone. Now we have a personal relationship which will soon grow both in the business we do together and the understanding we have of each other as well as the trust that has begun to develop. This NEVER could have been accomplished over the phone.
Lunch was crucial as we relaxed and got to know each other. Afterwards communicating with his staff, showing them respect and letting them get to know us was also an added huge benefit.
I believe anything important, is worth my effort to do personally as it works far better and most frequently results in the desired conclusion. It helps convert strictly business relationships to personal relationships and the power of personal contact is incredibly huge.
Yet in today’s hurry up world we seem to ignore this basic truth. We are too busy, its too expensive, it takes too much of our time and everything else is so much more important. I think otherwise.
