By Remy Raitt

Technology enables us to do business, close deals and just generally make things happen faster. In fact, nowadays almost all our business could be done from behind our desks, but as Jennifer Leckstrom says in an article for PR News; “technology is cold and relationships need to be nurtured”.

Interaction incentive

“Relationships are key when it comes to public relations,” says Renee Schonborn, the owner of Little Black Book PR. “It is difficult to build a relationship of substance with a client without meeting them in person.” She says when considering the art of communication, so much can be gleaned from non-verbal cues; “a positive reaction versus a negative reaction, levels of enthusiasm or concern...  All of these are difficult to get across via phone or email.”

Graham Deneys the strategy director at Carat Cape Town and SSA agrees; “body language can explain things a lot better than voice or text alone,” he says. “Face-to-face interaction also assists in creating common ground elements that aid further conversation, ideas and thoughts,” he adds.

Relationship building

“A personal relationship is developed in person,” says Schonborn. She says that the relationship between client and agency should be one of substance and that while phone and email succeed in taking care of the basics, “it is vital for the agency to really understand the client and their business – I am not sure that this can be achieved by phone and email alone”.

Creating clarity

Deneys says meetings in person ensure everyone is on the same page. “The only way to really understand the “big picture” is by sitting down together and putting all the elements on the table besides the immediate marketing task at hand,” he says. “Having a more in-depth understanding of the business environment will assist in adjusting communication, marketing and media objectives with the aim of achieving overall business goals.”

Schonborn says meeting with clients can also allow for opportunity to improve the work at hand. “I find that meeting with clients face-to-face allows us to more fully explore the campaign, uncover opportunities and discuss any issues – without misunderstanding each other, which can easily happen with phone and especially email.”

The frequency of face-to-face

“Frequency of contact is a tricky one,” says Deneys, “I would say that you should always have a good reason to set up meetings and not just for the sake of having a meeting. Each and every client is different though and as such I would remain as flexible as possible.”

Due to the fact that it takes time for an agency to get into the rhythm of a campaign, Schonborn suggests meeting regularly (twice a month) at first and then more or less monthly once things have settled.

Location, location, location

Both Deneys and Schonborn suggest initially meeting in either the client’s or your offices. “This assists in creating a professional impression from the start that forms the base of your relationship,” says Deneys. “From there, I would say a comfortable environment that allows easy interaction and creative thinking that promotes conversation,” he continues.

Personal and professional harmony

Schonborn believes a great meeting will strike a balance between business and informality. “I don’t believe it is possible to develop a meaningful relationship without understanding the people behind the titles or designations,” she says. “None of us are one dimensional and so our relationships should reflect this.” That said, she does stress that there should be boundaries in place and that both parties should know where these lie.

Do you meet with your clients in person? What do you think this brings to your working relationship with them? Tell us below.