According to Embassy Suites Hotels’ Third Annual nationwide Business Travel Survey, Ninety-seven percent of business travelers think face time is the most important part of developing and maintaining strong client relationships and over half (53 percent) of business travelers reported having more in-person meetings with clients than in previous years.
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“Face-to-face meetings are irreplaceable when it comes to the health of client relationships,” says business travel strategist Joel Widzer, Psy.D. “We connect with our clients better when we are able to meet in person, which certainly makes it worth taking that business trip on a regular basis.”
In fact, 76 percent of business travelers who had less face time with clients in the past 12 months reported it had a negative impact on their business relationships. For those still skeptical about planning a trip for the next business meeting, almost 1-in-5 (18 percent) of business travelers reported losing a project because they were unable to travel to see a client and 17 percent say they lost the client altogether.
In this digital age where professionals rely on technology for just about everything, the question remains – can apps, emails and video chats replace old fashioned face time with clients?
According to the survey, the answer is no. Respondents indicated it would take an average of five video conferences, 10 phone calls or 20 emails to replace one hour of face-to-face contact with a client.
While business travelers are on the road again, it’s clear they are still looking for value when it comes to booking hotels (27 percent, up from 24 percent in 2010). Business travelers remain budget savvy about accommodations, but they report splurging more when it comes to flights and food. This year, less road warriors are flying exclusively coach to reach their business travel destinations (down to 21 percent from 29 percent in 2010), and only 1-in-5 are cutting back on meals this year, down 4 percent from 2010.