It is said that we make judgements on the people we meet within the first 5-15 secs of setting eyes on them. First impressions mean a great deal in most situations and in business, perhaps more.
How much of your business interactions have been a success through meeting the ‘right’ person and having a good connection with them? How many of your business acquaintances can you recall having almost an instant positive vibe or feeling about on your first meeting?
If these first impressions are so important, often making or breaking a business partnership, what happens when your business is conducted on-line or over the phone and you don’t have the opportunity to meet with your customers or clients face to face to get that ‘vibe’?
For me as a life coach, face to face meetings with my clients can strengthen the coaching relationship and help with reading body language, mood and general human condition. Alternatively though, I have coached clients in NZ, Spain and Cambodia and I could only have done this with technology- phone, email and msn. Often in these cases, the clients were able to share more honestly because of the ‘distance’ which can be less of a threat for some vulnerable clients; also it meant that I had to really hone my questioning as I didn’t have the visual cues to guide me in gauging a clients mood or state of mind.
But doesn’t the development of new technologies support the idea that the human, face to face interactions are still vitally important? Why else would video messaging or web conferencing have been created?? Still not a substitute for human contact, it reflects the idea that at least making visual contact is better than relying on voice or text alone.
There is still an almost innate need to meet those we are working with face to face and it seems technology is driving this more than ever. With the hundreds or thousands of contacts we can now find ourselves with, it is the handshake and smile that makes someone stand out in the crowd. And there is no technological substitute for that.
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