Survey Shows In-Person Meetings Trump Technology.

(I’m stealing this from RoadWarriorette since we both have similar positions at different companies)

From the Embassy Suites Third Annual Business Travel Survey

Face Time Trumps Technology . . .
Ninety-seven percent of business travelers think face time is the most important part of developing and maintaining strong client relationships and over half (53 percent) of business travelers reported having more in-person meetings with clients than in previous years. “Face-to-face meetings are irreplaceable when it comes to the health of client relationships,” says business travel strategist Joel Widzer, Psy.D. “We connect with our clients better when we are able to meet in person, which certainly makes it worth taking that business trip on a regular basis.”

When I do web-based training it is just with WebEx showing what is on the screen.  I don’t use any webcams or anything like that to see expressions on the person’s face.  It is difficult to know what is on the mind of the person you are training.  In person I can see all of those visual clues.  I can tell when a person is confused or frustrated or just needs to stand up for a second.  Also, I focus on my customer much better in person.  Some things can be done over the phone like quick follow-up, but anything over a couple hours should be done in person as far as training goes.