5 Reasons Business Travel Is A Necessity in the Information Age
If you think Google Hangouts or Skype sessions can replace face to face meetings successfully, think again. In one study of 750 business executives, 8 out of every 10 said that they preferred face to face interactions to tech alternatives. Even though the information age makes virtual meetings a possibility, they are not equal to in person meetings. Here are 5 reasons that business travel is still a necessity, even though we have the tech to make online meetings possible.
1. Face to face interactions help people develop long lasting, personal relationships.
When you have a meeting in a virtual space, it is tempting to think of the people on the screen as just a part of the work day. You don’t take time out for personal conversations or emotional check-ins. This leaves a considerable communication gap, and relationships start to lack depth. In contrast, meetings held in person allow for personal communication, emotional sharing, and a feeling that the encounter stands out from the routine work of the day.
2. Business travel gives the opportunity for social time.
You can’t spend twenty-four hours a day in meetings. Inevitably, you need to eat, sleep, drink, and recreate. When you travel for business, you just might do one of those social activities with one of the people you have ongoing business with. Relating on topics other than pure work is very healthy for your relationship! Eating a meal out together, or going for a hike as a team might just build more trust than signing a contract.
3. Learn about the culture that your business is immersed in.
The information age allows us to conduct business with people all over the world. Communications fly around the globe in seconds. However, if you merely fire off emails to people all over the globe, without considering culture, you will be missing a large body of information. Cultural clues can help you build stronger business relationships, produce better products, and gain a better reputation. Business travel helps to introduce you to the culture of the people that you are working with.
4. Networking is more successful in person
One study showed that 72% of people engaged in networking were influenced by the looks that they received, or the feel of a handshake. Can you shake someone’s hand online? No. Powerful social cues like the grip of a handshake are passed on in person, not online.
5. Travel provides and opportunity for teams to bond
Groups of coworkers traveling together face new experiences as a team, which is a bonding activity. When people are in their familiar zones, like a home office, they will be less likely to make an effort to bond to others. But when people travel together they are removed from the usual comforts and distractions of home, and this frees up time and space for them to get to know one another.
After the recession, many business owners stopped traveling, and relied on virtual meetings instead. This saves money, but ultimately harms relationships. Business travel is vital to business success. If budgeting is an issue, consider getting a small loan.
Narin Charan, founder and CEO of Capital Alliance, started providing business loans to small businesses as the recession of 2008 hit. He wanted to help small businesses thrive, even while their access to funds was temporarily decreased doe to the state of the economy. Small business loans can keep business travel from being sacrificed in the name of sticking to a budget. This is important because of the rewards of the face to face meetings that come out of business travel. Among those rewards are long lasting relationships, team bonding, cultural awareness, and more successful networking.