According to a recent survey by Radicati ‘pinging’ over a message is now the most popular way to communicate in business.
Do you fancy a chat later? Brilliant, just email me.
In a very cost conscious world where there is a responsibility to ensure money isn’t squandered, the option to simply send an email over a face-to-face meeting seems to be a wise one especially when it avoids petrol being wasted or placing further strain on public transport. According to a recent Leasing World article:
“London bound business people without a London base in which to work and meet are spending £5,824 a year at cafés, hotel lobbies, bars and restaurants unnecessarily to pass time in between business meetings”. http://www.leasingworld.co.uk/freepages/news-detail.php?ID=1479
Arguably, this is money that doesn’t need to be spent but many would disagree. There is certainly a temptation to avoid traditional forms of communication.
‘The art of conversation isn’t dead yet – it’s just that we now have more of an excuse not to speak to people face-to-face any more,’ said Marc Chacksfield, deputy editor at TechRadar.com.
The below infographic depicts the extent to which mobile technology and social media platforms have penetrated our society.
The worry in this digital world is that the ability to effectively communicate with one another on a personal level is something that will disintegrate and become a dying art. In a business where trust and relationships are paramount this is something that Liberty Leasing want to avoid.
Why Liberty Leasing believe in the importance of face-to-face communication
There was a time at Liberty where the phones never stopped ringing, which now seems to be replaced in part with tapping of the keyboard or smartphone. Regardless of the temptation to ‘ping a message’ or send an email, there is very much an ethos at Liberty Leasing and emphasis on ensuring we offer a personable service. The Account Management team is committed to developing and maintaining client and customer relationships, which without them there would be no business.
Networking opportunities and the chance to be able to meet brokers and a varying customer base seem to be less common than before.
Lewis Banford, Area Manager explained:
“Networking is a vital aspect within the finance industry, personally I’m glad there is an element of traditionalism. The thought of never leaving the office and being sat behind video conferencing systems all day is somewhat disconcerting to me.
In October, Liberty exhibited at the Finance Professional Show and it was such a great day and opportunity to catch up with our brokers, old and new. There definitely was a general consensus that these opportunities should not be missed out on and certainly not avoided. I’m proud that I work for a business that believes in personal relationships and perceives the value of maintaining them.”
The Account Manager structure along with their added value, personal service has allowed Liberty Leasing to establish a strong foothold in what is a very competitive marketplace.
Allan Clegg, Managing Director commented:
“One key aspect to our continue success will be the investment in our systems and online processes. However, our customers and clients are at the heart of everything we do. We do not want systems in place so we become faceless robots; we want them to enhance the overall customer experience.
Although, face-to-face meetings require a lot of time, energy and resource the value of building positive relationship, demonstrating importance whilst enhancing credibility and trust is something we are not willing to compromise at Liberty.”
