Hi

I always wonder why this debate is an 'OR' discussion. What's wrong about 'AND'.

And doesn't it also depend on what it is you're trying to achieve? i.e. solve an immediate business need, just stay abreast of evolutions, search for business development opportunities?

If we're talking lead generation, then IMO the buying journey is the differentiating factor.

If I'm far along in that cycle than I probably will inform myself via online sources because I know what I'm lookign for. If I'm in the early stages of that journey then I will avoid vendor driven online or sponsored content, instead I'll want to listen to unbiased, "multi channel sourced" information including that coming from peers. A 'face to face' or physical event offers me that...

Exec's and by the way also those lower down the ladder will always need social interaction. In the beginning of a buying journey there are so many options, you get seasick only considering them. By the way, maybe online interactions are more and more facilitating the buying process, but at the end of the day business itself is always done among people.

Koen

Both types of formats have their place. B2B marketers should consider the desired outcome to select the format that will generate the best business result.

Web/video/teleconferences are excellent for sharing information and conducting presentations. These formats are budget friendly and save travel time. If conducted with a partner that has vast databases of prospective buyers, this form of media can also be highly effective for lead generation.

Face to face is superior for dialogue, meeting new people, building relationships and actually seeing products--in other words the quality/depth of contact. Importantly, face-to-face is highly engaging (you're less able to multi-task at a conference than in your office)

Eye ball to eye ball is the way to go! I have found that successful relationships are based on being empathetic...In our book, The Real-World Guide to Fashion Selling & Management,Sherman & Perlman,Fairchild Pub./Conde Nast,N.Y.(2006) we go on to say, "listening to another attentively;understanding their thoughts, emotions,and feelings;and adjusting you own moods and behavior accordingly is the key to a harmonious relationship." Person-to-Person affords one the opportunity of achieving a meeting of the minds...

In a word, Duh.
Face-to-face contact will always be the highest form of human interaction, and nothing replaces it.
The question is NEVER whether it would be better to have a face-to-face meeting. The question is always whether it's justified or necessary.

I would echo Koen's remark... Why does this always have to be an "either/or" discussion?

I'm fairly certain the reason executives prefer face-to-face is because they don't yet fully grasp the advantages to immersive virtual meetings, or they've attended some poorly organized ones.

I spend a fair amount of time interacting on a professional basis in a virtual world, preferring that 10-fold over a web conference that will most likely find me multitasking. I can meet with someone from France in the early morning, NYC late morning, the Midwest in the afternoon, and even Asia in the evening. 4 meetings with worldwide colleagues in one day.

The more we interact virtually the more face-to-face the feeling. (The mind is a powerful thing afterall.)

I'd love to see the report you did.

The study may be true as it pertains to meetings in general, but there is a shift in these numbers when we are talking about a sales meeting. We looked at b2b appointment setting programs and found that C/VP level execs are trending to prefer the first contact with vendors to be a phone sales meeting.

Just because you can utilize the latest technology in on line meetings does not mean that it is better than face to face. I believe there is significant importance to showing your (current or prospective) client the respect that ensues from a visit on his turf.

The expense of business travel today is certainly a factor to be considered, but we have found that the new TSP services offered by some travel companies are able to cut business travel costs by as much as 35% over what we previously paid so we have not had to curtail visits to reduce our travel budget.

Unlike the article reflects, I personally prefer utilizing my time working and growing my business, verses wasting my time traveling. If you feel the need to "read" someone, it can be done via video conference meetings, recognizing response time and voice inflections.

I find that when I follow my instincts in business that I am 99% spot on and find myself sleeping in my own bed.

We stare at computers every day, all day. That human interaction, reading body signals etc. is vital in business, sales especially. Unlike reader above, I'd travel the distance to show the customer how important the partnership is and spend quality time face-to-face. It always pays back in spades and is the way to grow a business -it cant be done from behind a desk.

I agree with Matt. Our company specializes in b2b, smb, field sales and our personal interactions are vital to the success of our company, as well as for our clients. People can hide behind a telephone or a computer and get their message heard, but nothing can replace a firm handshake, a friendly smile and a true 'down to business', face to face conversation. It is difficult to build a trusting business relationship based on technology alone. People have to know you are willing to go the extra mile. If a client or prospect can give you 30 minutes to an hour for a webinar or teleconference, why can't they allot that time for an in-person meeting?

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