We live in a digital age. We have more tools and platforms to be connected with each other than ever before. In most ways, I think this is a really good thing. I do. I am connected with so many more people, from all over the country, than I could have been 20 years ago. Not only have we met at some function, I am able to keep up with their daily lives. I get to see their kids grow up. I see pictures from their vacations. It’s a way of connecting with people we simply could not have done just a few year ago (and we take it for granted). But it’s not the only way to connect. It’s not even the best way. I was reminded of this when Mark and Catherine Graham drove from Toronto Canada to visit with us this week. For those that don’t know, Mark and Catherine own commonsku, which is an order management software program designed specifically for the Promo industry. They are also really nice people. It was great to connect with them…in person. They came and stayed overnight. We had dinner and hung out and they got to see our routines and workflows in person. But why? We communicate with them regularly. We are connected on all of the social media channels. Why make the trip? I even asked them about it. Of course the answer is simple. The best way to connect–really connect–is in person. Not only did they get to learn what it’s like to do business in Coshocton, Ohio, but they got to go over some new changes to their platform that are really cool. And here’s the thing, despite the face that I am on their platform every day, I did not know about most of them! But with them in our office, our team took the time to learn them and learn the reasoning behind them. I had seen the updates and the emails. But I had not take the time to dig in. There is still so much power in face to face communication. It’s easier to send an email. It’s quicker to post it to social media. But so often, the message doesn’t really get through. Leave it to Mark and Catherine Graham, entrepreneurs in the TECH space, to remind me the power of being “social” in person. Make sure you never miss an update! We send out a VIP newsletter once a week with all of the content from the week in one place! Sign up for it here!
