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‘Offline’ communication used to be the only communication, but obviously, that has changed significantly. What hasn’t changed is that human beings are social creatures that respond to real-life connection and engagement. That’s as true today as it was 150 years ago.
And while it may not be as fast or convenient as its online counterpart, offline communication still has a lot going for it.
It comes with that personal touch that we just don’t get from an email or text message. There’s just “something” about a face-to-face conversation – or a phone call, to a lesser extent – that can’t be matched by digital options.
In-Person
Generally speaking, most of us are recharged by face-to-face interaction with other people. Our social lives – or lack thereof – have a tremendous impact on our physical and mental health.
That’s perhaps the biggest advantage for in-person communication. It resonates with us, even if only subconsciously, like no other channel. Don’t underestimate that.
As far as pros go, face-to-face interaction has a few that are hard to dismiss. It:
It provides nonverbal cues. Conventional wisdom and widely quoted studies tell us that only 7% of communication on average comes from the words we use. The other 93% comes from nonverbal cues, including body language and vocal elements. While new evidence suggests that the figure may not be accurate, the one thing that everyone agrees on is that the vast majority of communication is conveyed nonverbally. Facial expressions, gestures, paralinguistics, posture, proximity, eye contact, touch, and appearance reveal a lot more than what we’re saying verbally. Any communication without it, like text messages, may fall victim to misunderstandings from its absence.
Gives instant gratification. Need an answer or suggestion right away? Face-to-face conversations provide instant gratification. You’re both there, in the moment, answering and talking in real-time. There’s no waiting period.
Demonstrates importance. Nothing makes someone feel more important than a face-to-face meeting or discussion in a world where it happens less and less. Need a customer or friend to know how much they matter to you? Meet up in real life.
Enhances trust. When someone steadfastly refuses to meet in person, it can feel like they’re hiding something from us.
Gets to the point. Simply put, there is no substitute for a face-to-face conversation (when it’s possible, of course). Instead of playing phone tag, waiting on an email response, and/or feeling ignored, everything is dealt with quickly and properly, with few, if any, misunderstandings.
Furnishes privacy and security. There is no app or device to hack and steal information from because it exists only in the mind of the participants.
According to Alex Birkett, growth marketer at Hubspot and co-founder at Omniscient Digital, nothing beats in-person communication when it comes to sales and building rapport.
“When I meet prospects in person, there is so much more trust and so much less friction. To my knowledge, it isn’t really possible to achieve the same level of rapport via solely text communication like email. Even video conferencing doesn’t bridge that gap entirely.”
That said, offline conversation is not without its cons, as well, as people have many different preferred communication styles.
For starters, it’s subject to time and place restrictions. You can only meet with someone if they’re in the same place and available at the same time. That’s not always possible in the modern world.
It can also be a time-consuming approach. How many people can you physically meet with during a typical day versus how many emails you can send out?
Telephone Calls
Still, under the offline umbrella, it’s no surprise that phone calls are (still) a popular channel. Short of meeting in real life, they’re a close second in terms of feeling appreciated and understood.
Much of what we gain from an in-person conversation can be achieved with a phone call. Most, but not all.
What are the advantages? It’s still personal. It’s still real-time communication with instant gratification and responses. We get some of the nonverbal cues – sighs, inflection, pitch, volume, and tone – and we save some time because we don’t have to travel anywhere. We can make a phone call to someone down the hall or across the globe. Calls are also more private, secure, and confidential than a written message, and are still an effective sales tactic.
Where does it fall short? We lose the visual cues, which are the lion’s share. We must still spend more minutes on a real-time conversation than a written message, and we’re still bound by time and the availability of the other person. Ever play phone tag? Phone calls can also be frustrating, with each person cutting the other off or overlapping their conversation because we can’t ‘see’ when they’re done waiting for a response.
That said, if you’re looking to cultivate the relationship and build trust, few things compare to a face-to-face chat or call. It’s a fundamental part of relationship marketing.
But let’s be honest: few have the luxury of being able to engage strictly in offline conversations. Online digital channels obviously do have a big place in the communication matrix, too.
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