Mixed Messages: The Power of Face-to-Face Communication

By: Jay Osterholm, Founder and CEO of The ODM Group

Earlier this week I gave an in-person presentation to a group of business leaders on behalf of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. This small but select group gathered to discuss communication and technology trends for the coming year.

As a marketing professional I spend a great deal of time finding innovative ways to distribute key messages and engage large audiences via various digital channels, none of which require my physical presence.

That being said, I reveled at the opportunity to meet with my peers and have a discussion on the issues that affect our daily lives. More importantly, I was able to see their reactions, tone, and point of view all through non-verbal cues.

Face-to-face discussions are the foundation of human communication, and once established it allows us to build trust, clearly articulate our ideas and minimize misunderstanding.

However, for many of us, face-to-face is a growing rarity, replaced by text messaging, Skype, e-mails, and social media. Human communication and interactions are shaped by available technologies. I frequently discuss with my peers whether technology helps or hinders our ability to spread messages. I would venture to say it does neither. Rather, it transforms previous methods and revolutionizes the way we communicate with one another.

In the marketing and advertising industry, it is our job to stay relevant, informed, and up-to-date on the newest communication channels and incorporate them into our repertoire of capabilities.

To build meaningful connections between people, we need to learn to let technology enhance our communication, rather than define it. As new communication technological advancements become available, our temptation is to deprioritize more time intensive face-to-face interactions at the risk of losing critical tone, texture, and context. Sure, e-mail and social media dramatically impact the speed and volume of messages, but there is a danger in allowing the subtle aspects of dialogue and personality fall to the wayside.

Online interactions allow us to manipulate the way others perceive us, often times through an anonymous shield. The words we type are the only thing defining us, which is strikingly different than having an actual conversation with a peer. This is further highlighted by research suggesting that only 10 percent of the full meaning of messages is understood with written words alone – tone is 40 percent of the full picture and body-language sliding in at a whopping 50 percent! Confirming the age old adage of ‘it’s not always what you say but how you say it!’ Surprise, Surprise! Today, many digital interactions are short-codes and rapid-fire thoughts without supporting context.

The New Year will be filled with opportunities to create new business relationships and strengthen our existing relationships – as well as new marketing challenges and new messages to spread. To be the great communicators that we pride ourselves on we must realign the balance between our social customs and technology. For stronger and more meaningful connections, create better engagement by allowing more time for face-to-face communication.