Lessons from Wimbledon: Sometimes you just have to be there in person
To achieve your goals, you need to make sacrifices. Many of these sacrifices are about how you choose to spend your time.
The sacrifice I made when I started TapInfluence was I gave up watching sports on TV. Instead I use my nights to work on my business.
Previously, I’ve watched hundreds of tennis matches on TV. But nothing could prepare me for that moment when I watched my first professional tennis match in person. It was almost like watching a different sport. To hear every movement, see the position of their bodies, and hear every breath that comes out of their mouth. It is spectacular. And don’t get me started about the sound of the ball hitting the racket. These are all things that the TV just does not do justice.
I think the same thing goes in life and business. So much is made about Skype (or nowadays Google Hangout is rapidly taking over the business video conference world) and social networking in general, but it’s just not the same as an in-person meeting. Something about being there and seeing the person and speaking to them face to face.
It’s why at TapInfluence we’re big on two things:
1. A central office where everyone is encouraged to come in. We try hard to make sure everyone wants to be in the central office. Almost all our sales people are based in the central office and then we travel out to clients as needed.
We work hard to make it so our employees want to be in the office. Sure they can do their work at home, and sometimes without distraction, but I feel that the spontaneous meetings and the overheard conversations more than make up for the lack of quiet concentration space.
2. In person meetings. There is still something so special about an in-person meeting with a customer or partner. Anytime we have an important meeting, wether internally or with a customer or partner, we try to do it in person.
Brad Feld has recently decided not to travel for the rest of 2013, and his blogging about his experience including some great video conferencing tips at feld.com.
What do you think? Is the in-person meeting dead?
