Even though we seem to be living in an age where digital communication is the norm, there are still plenty of benefits to be gained from face-to-face meetings. In fact, in some cases, meeting in person can be the best way to strengthen relationships with clients and employees.
If you’re wondering why face-to-face meetings are still important, read on for a few key reasons.
1) Fostering Trust
It’s easy to assume that a face-to-face meeting is just to review what you’ve been working on. But just as important is building relationships and trust. You’re able to speak more freely in person and build some empathy with the other party. You’re able to build a better relationship by being able to hear and see your counterpart, making it easier to pick up on body language.
During online meetings, it’s harder to gauge the reaction of the other party, and it’s harder to connect.
2) Keeping Everyone Focused
It’s next to impossible to hold a meeting and everyone’s attention at once. When it’s a group chat, people can easily get distracted by what their friends are doing.
This is where a meeting room can give you an advantage. When you’re all sitting in a room, there’s no way to get distracted, so you can focus on the task at hand.
3) Building Strong Relationships
Just like how a meeting can bring an employee and employer closer, it can be used to bring two people together. Having face-to-face meetings can be an opportunity to get to know another person on a deeper level.
When you’re face-to-face, you can more easily pick up on signals and body language, which can help you connect better with your counterpart.
Having a face-to-face meeting also helps the other party feel more comfortable and less anxious.
4) Setting Clear Communication Goals
A meeting’s goal is usually to get a job done, but it’s also to build up relationships with clients. The relationship with your clients is what will help you stay connected when you need more work done.
During a face-to-face meeting, you’ll be able to sit down and talk about what you’re doing and discuss the next steps. Although you can set clear goals for your online meetings, it’s not quite as straightforward as when you’re meeting in person.
Going over goals can help you cut out any confusion and ambiguity, and it can also help your counterpart avoid any confusion as to what you expect.
5) Boosting Productivity
For most workers, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re online. Even if you’re trying to focus on the task at hand, it’s hard to completely ignore other applications that can distract you.
When you’re behind a computer screen, you’re also less likely to want to leave the house. This means that you’re less likely to get up and walk around or go outside and get fresh air.
Having a face-to-face meeting helps you stay focused and engaged throughout the entire meeting. It also helps to have other people present to keep you accountable for your work.
Conclusion
There are plenty of benefits to having face-to-face meetings instead of online ones. No matter what job you’re in, having face-to-face meetings can help you to foster deeper relationships, set clearer goals, and become more productive.
If you are a mostly remote workplace looking for a venue for meetings Unidus has you covered. We have various business meeting rooms for hire in Brisbane as well as larger function rooms for business meetings or corporate events. Get in touch with us today to learn how.
