Looking to gain consensus on an idea? Want to close a sale? The trick may be as simple as showing up.
Robin Camarote says that the The 1 Thing Ridiculously Persuasive People Do Every Day is showing up. She says:
“In-person requests are 34 times more successful than email. Researchers Vanessa Bohns and Mahdi Roghanizad say, “we found that people tend to overestimate the power of their persuasiveness via text-based communication, and underestimate the power of their persuasiveness via face-to-face communication.”
People tend to think that the written word – emails, texts, and even website content can do the job of a face-to-face, when in reality the purpose of those methods of communication should simply be to set up the appointment.
Seventy percent of success in life is showing up. Woody Allen
Think about websites for just a second. If you are looking to hire a vendor or make a purchase with a company you’ve never done business with – will you make that final buying decision solely based on their website?
Most likely not.
Most people use the Internet to research, gather information, make a list of questions and then visit the business or make a call for further information. It is that one-on-one that ends up sealing the deal.
The same is true if you are trying to be persuasive in business. To expect your text or email to take the place of a face-to-face is unrealistic.
When you show up,you have the added benefit of making eye contact, observing body language and reading between the lines of their words.
How many times has an innocent text been received incorrectly because the recipient misread the tone of your words?
When you are showing up in person, the likelihood of your meaning being misinterpreted is minimal. Even if they do misread what you are saying, chances are, in an in person meeting, you will see that right away and can address the situation.
In Robin’s article she suggests that you review your current projects and clients and determine which are most important to you. Those are the ones that will require showing up in person to make it happen.
In the 1962 movie with Doris Day and Cary Grant, That Touch of Mink, the businessmen are explaining to Grant’s character that they have tried everything to get Benson to sell his company. They’ve offered Benson more than the company is worth. They’ve talked to his lawyers, his board of directors and his executive assistant, but he just won’t sell.
Grant turns to Doris Day and says – well, what do you think?
“Have you talked to Benson?”
It is all about showing up. As simple as that. If you are looking to make a difference, close a sale, make an acquaintance with a leader in your industry or land an interview – you need to show up – in person.
JJ DiGeronimo, a speaker, author and thought-leader for Women in Tech and Girls and STEM, empowers professional women and consults with senior executives on strategies to retain and attract Women in Technology to increase thought and leadership diversity within organizations.
Check out JJ’s new award winning book Accelerate Your Impact by downloading three free chapters.
