Facebook vs. Face Time: How’s Your Balance?

A lot of what I do has me communicating on a daily basis with people in other parts of the country. From Fort Collins and Greeley, to New York and Arizona. Phone calls, email, text messages, internet, webinars, (and yes, still faxes from time to time).

Let’s pick Fort Collins. I talk to, email back and forth with, receive texts from folks there many times every day. In my mind, its almost as if we all work in the same office here in on Main Street in Windsor. We’re that connected.

Earlier this year I had Lasik eye surgery. Part of the followup is trips to the eye doctor to, measure, shine bright little lights, dilate your pupils (love that!) and look deep into your eyes to see if it has all healed correctly.

As I was pulling on to I-25 for my drive to the eye doctor in Fort Collins last week, I had a weird little moment. I do business with people in Fort Collins every day in our high-tech, virtual world. It seems like the real world, and in this day and age it is. BUT. It hit me that there are some things that you actually still have to show up for. In person. The ‘old-fashioned’ way. Can’t get my eyes checked on facebook (yet).

Now of course we all know that, but it really hit me for a second. We now spend so much of our life texting, on the phone, on facebook, tweeting, emailing — that we might be taking good old face to face interaction for granted. I think I do. That’s why I had that weird little moment on I-25.

Make sure that you are spending enough real, old-fashioned, in-person time with your customers. See them. Let them see you. Listen. Laugh. Eat. Help. Care. I think if we’re doing it right all the technology should enhance how we used to communicate, not replace it.

And as a friend of mine asks, “Who is your customer?” Then he’s quick with the answer, “Everyone.” Your spouse, your kids, neighbor, co-worker, friend, waiter, librarian, mechanic. “Everyone.”

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