WHY TALK WHEN YOU CAN TEXT....?

There is something about the now familiar Telecom ads, featuring those small, fluffy and totally technology obsessed toys that makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. The sight of that white bunny furiously texting away until her paws set on fire is a sharp reminder that we live in a world where people don't talk to each other face to face anymore.

Across New Zealand and the rest of the world, people are texting more than they are talking. Office workers would rather send an email than get up and walk to somebody else's desk. I have even heard tales of Account Managers emailing a simple request to the Account Executive sitting right next to them! Many of us are even loathe to pick up the phone to contact the person that we need to speak to (although, even when we do, we are usually met with an answerphone message). Then, after work is over, we chat with our friends using online networks such as Facebook and by texting.

Even though these new technological developments bring a huge amount of convenience to our time poor lives, I think that it is important that we remember the value of the human touch.

Despite the fact that long, lazy lunches are now out of the question for most people, there are still a number of things you can do to keep that personal connection with your client or customer alive. For example, pick up the phone and call your client or your customer now and again, rather than sending an email. You don't have to be on the phone for hours, just long enough to help nuture the relationship and to let the recipient know that you care enough to give them a ring.

Have meetings in-person as often as possible. This is another great opportunity to develop interpersonal relations. People also work better when they are face to face as it is easier to gauge reactions and feelings.

Also, never underestimate the power of the letter. If you need to say thank you to a client or a customer then send them a letter instead of an email. A letter is much more personal and warmer than its electronic cousin and will, once again, help you to build better relationships with the people that you work with.

There is no denying that new technology has brought a whole host of opportunities and benefits. The Internet means that we have access to a much larger and more accessible pool of information and blogs, forums and applications such as Facebook and Bebo enable us to interact with and get our message out to a much larger audience- even if we aren't meeting them face to face...

Just don't rely on electronic tools entirely. Make sure that you don't lose the human touch and your clients, your customers and your business will all thank you for it.