The world moves fast. We often rely on technology to help us keep up. When making a connection with another person is critical, nothing tops an in-person meeting. Sitting in a room with someone face-to-face allows the other party to completely experience your personal brand. This experience takes place on many levels. The expression on your face, the tone of your voice, the look in your eyes all helps represent who you are and the nature of your visit.
Many people take this idea lightly. I often hear people say that in-person meetings are a waste of time and money. While it is true that you can save money by having conference calls and video conferences, the in-person meeting still has a place in business.
Whenever people question the value of a face-to-face meeting I tell them the story of a young hotel manager from Northern New Jersey. This young man was wide-eyed and aggressive. He was tasked with marketing a new hotel that was opening in an industrial area. The young manager spent a significant amount of time researching the market and putting together a marketing plan. He believed that he had thought of every detail.
When the time came to share this plan with the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Marketing in his company, the manager made a compelling case. He cited his facts and figures. He referenced the market segmentation study he had completed. He articulated a simple yet effective plan for his new hotel. Or so he thought…
After the presentation, the SVP berated the young manager and told him that the plan would never work. She said it was too simplistic. She said that she would come up with a better plan and present it to the hotel's owner.
The SVP of Marketing had always felt threatened by the young manager. She did not want the owner to see the true talent this manager possessed. She also wanted to make sure the owner did not establish a direct relationship with this manager. The SVP feared that the owner would see the young man's marketing talent and replace her with him.
The manager was furious with this situation. He felt strongly that his plan was solid. He knew in his heart that it would work. He could not stand by and watch as his ideas were summarily dismissed. The manager knew that he would need to speak with the owner directly to make certain that his ideas were given a fair review. The manager felt that it was his job to do what he thought was best for his business. He also felt that this was a meeting that needed to take place in-person. The owner needed to see the passion the manager had for his hotel.
The manager drove eight hours to the owner's office for their appointment. He made a compelling presentation. At the end of the meeting the owner thanked the young man for his ideas and his passion for the business. The manager left the meeting and felt good as he drove eight hours back to his hotel.
About one week later the manager received some interesting news. The owner met with the SVP of Marketing (after he met with the manager). It seems that she presented the manager's plan as her own – down to the last detail. The owner immediately saw what had happened and fired the SVP of Marketing.
In the end, it was not the fact that the SVP of Marketing adopted her subordinates work as her own that prompted the owner to fire her. It was the fact that the manager was passionate about his business and the SVP of Marketing was beating that passion out of him.
Had the manager just met with the owner over the phone, the meeting would have not had the same impact.
Two years later when the hotel manager was promoted the owner used that meeting as an example of his passion and dedication to the firm.
There is no substitute for an in-person meeting to give the other party a sense of your personal brand.
David Lorenzo has more than 20 years of business experience as a successful corporate executive, entrepreneur, strategist, author, and speaker. He has worked with and mentored some of the world's most successful businesspeople while helping lead many large organizations to unprecedented success. His latest book is titled: Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Workplace Warriors and Entrepreneurs.
Mr. Lorenzo's experience in starting new business enterprises and repositioning under-performing business units, along with his ability to implement innovative performance improvement solutions, makes him one of today's most sought-after trusted advisors.
Mr. Lorenzo is a participant in the Wharton Fellows Program at the University of Pennsylvania, a management think tank that meets regularly to analyze and address timely business issues. He received his MBA from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University, and he received a Masters of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University in New York City.
Dave's blog is http://www.careerintensity.com/blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment