Patti Faulkner • June 10, 2020
Despite the pandemic, in-person meetings will remain essential
By Nathan Green
Go ahead, call me old fashioned. Tell me I’m “Zoom Fatigued.” You’ll never convince me otherwise.
I have spent the last decade traveling the country, sitting down with not only potential New Level Radio clients, but the folks we currently work with on a regular basis.
We’re proud to have built a business that takes the impersonal and generic medium of “background” music and turns it into a client driven relationship. That wouldn’t be possible without the opportunity to meet with our partners face-to-face and look them in the eye, not through a screen or via email, LinkedIn or video chat.
Apparently I’m not alone. According to a study presented by CT Business Travel, 87% of professionals believe face-to-face meetings are “essential” for sealing a business deal and 47% said they have lost a contract or client due to a lack of face-to-face time.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about convenience and taking advantage of the latest and greatest technology. Without it we wouldn’t be able to change a playlist for a New Level Radio property 3,000 miles away by simply swiping through my mobile phone. And, when absolutely necessary, a video conference is fine for a quick, casual meeting.
But, by no means, will a Zoom meeting ever be more effective or productive for long-term success than an in-person sit down.
For starters, there’s the technical glitches. Seriously, is there anything worse than being in the middle of a video conference call and smack dab in the middle of a great discussion the screen freezes? Or how about that annoying echo that inevitably pops up during seemingly every Zoom call I’ve ever been on. And it’s more than likely that the people you're speaking to aren't giving you their full attention as 69% of those surveyed admitted to browsing social media during a audio-only conference call.
What’s more, for a lot of people it’s very uncomfortable to constantly see your own face up on that monitor as you conduct a meeting, which can take away from your own demeanor.
Not only are these distractions downright annoying, but they can change the tone and tenor of the conversations. Delays of just 1.2 seconds can make people “perceive the responder as less friendly or focused,” according to report by the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. Just like when sitting at a poker table, body language is vital and if you’re giving off a bad vibe because you're more concerned with how you look instead of what you are actually saying, it could be a deal breaker.
An in-person meeting takes all of the above issues out of the equation. In my experience, the keys to a successful, long-term business relationship include working with those that we trust, sharing the same goals and genuinely liking each other.
Reaching those goals with a client requires making a personal connection and that’s very difficult to do via a phone call or email. The initial introduction of a meeting sets the tone for the conversation, and it all starts in the first few minutes -- or even seconds -- of a meeting.
As for the actual meeting itself, productivity goes way up during an in-person sit down. The creativity flows much better and the entire time we spend together is more memorable, and that makes a huge difference in the following hours, days and weeks when we refer back to what the meeting’s purpose was and what was accomplished.
So, as we continue to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and inch closer to getting back to some sense of normalcy, I am looking forward to so much. I can’t wait to have a great meal at a favorite restaurant, or meet some friends at a bar for drinks. Traveling for both business and pleasure is sorely missed. Attending a concert or going to a Denver Broncos game will never be taken for granted again.
And sitting down with my New Level Radio clients to hear about their business, catch up on how our respective families are doing and strategizing about their music and messaging programs is something that I not only look forward to, but it will remain crucial to the way we do business.
Not even a global pandemic is going to change that.
About Nathan Green
Under the guidance and vision of Nathan Green and his partner Sam Ambrose, New Level Radio launched in 2007, creating a new niche in the radio and music industry. Today, the Denver-based company delivers customizable radio networks for hundreds of businesses all over the U.S., particularly the casino industry. When he's not on an airplane or creating a new playlist for a property, Nathan is typically at home in Denver with his wife and kids, working on new ventures, running a road race, or listening to music with the volume turned up to 10.
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Our CEO and Cofounder Nathan Green was the latest guest on Will Marlow's "Road to CEO" podcast where he discussed his journey and vision behind New Level Radio, and how we became the industry leader in providing curated music, video and messaging.