Tweeting Too Much, Communicating Too Little?

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We’ve evolved into emailers and tweeters. Tweeters? I’m referring, of course, to Twitter, the online news and social networking service launched in 2006.

Who could have imagined at its launch just over a decade ago that this strangely named digital platform (a favorite of the new president) would evolve into such a communication monster? By contrast, sound bites now seem almost passé if not encyclopedic given that Tweets are restricted to a mere 140 characters.

Perhaps, like Larry Ginger of American Lawn Care in Des Moines, Iowa, you too are wondering where all of this digital communication is leading us as business people. Effective communication, regardless of form, is vital to the survival, health and, ultimately, profitability of our service businesses.

Ginger acknowledges that Twitter, email and other digital platforms are convenient and useful in their own right. But he strongly feels that they fall far short of face-to-face interaction when it comes to attracting, pleasing and retaining customers. The “human interaction” factor is usually the difference maker among competing service companies, he feels.

Ginger, who has been operating his company for three decades, says that face-to-face time with his clients “pretty much” guarantees they renew his services. “A phone conversation is next best,” he adds.

How often do you meet and chat with customers in person or talk via telephone with them?

Do you feel as strongly as Ginger that your business might be relying too much on the convenience of digital communication while overlooking the relationship-building value of personal interaction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.