What would our world be without face-to-face interaction? In the age of the smartphone we spend hours every day looking at our screens, being bombarded with digital advertising content. We nurture our social connections with people we rarely get to see. Sometimes, with people we will never meet.
Experiencing moments of face-to-face connection is more important for our wellbeing than ever. While technology has infinitely expanded the scale of human networking – outsourcing many of our interactions to the online world decreases the moments we get to spend talking with people in-person. The statistics on worldwide loneliness and isolation are alarming. With more human beings on the planet alive than any other point in history, too many people are struggling to find the meaningful networks and moments of connection that make life fulfilling.
It’s not just a matter of having a social life – loneliness and isolation can suppress your immune system, increase your blood pressure, and stimulate bodily stress responses. Psychologist Susan Pinker examined the longevity of people living on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia – many living to 100 years or older. Pinker’s research concluded that the close personal relationships the islanders formed and maintained throughout their lives supported them to not only live longer – they also lived happier. Clearly, human beings are designed to live in social groups and interact with others regularly. Modern life can make this problematic.
There’s something so pure and enjoyable about being sold to by someone who is genuinely passionate about the product, and knows how to answer your questions in a personal and human way. Many of us have certain stores we will go to and buy from, just because we like the person behind the counter and enjoy interacting with them.
Online shopping has made a big dent on in-person retail. Buying online has its bonuses, but there comes a time when you just want to shop in a store and talk to a human being about the item you want to buy. We train our representatives to be skilled in a conversational style that has been around for millennia – the pleasant, polite chat where knowledge is offered and a connection is built. There are certain benefits to dealing with humans in the flesh when we make a purchase or learn about a brand – and it should be a positive experience for both parties too.
While the social implications of our face-to-face mission certainly get us out of bed in the morning – the business case for in-person marketing is compelling. Audiences are becoming desensitised to digital approaches – and it’s no wonder considering the sheer amount of advertising material we’re exposed to every day. Brand content is everywhere you look on your phone, on your TV and in the world around you – we find that audiences tend to vividly remember the human interactions they experience with real life brand representatives.
The impact of face-to-face for GIG Fundraising and our charity contracts has been immense. The emotional journey that takes an audience member from ‘potential’ to a ‘committed’ donor is so much richer in person. We assign our agents to fundraise for charities they have a personal, passionate connection to wherever they can. The genuine sense of purpose you feel from an agent who believes in what they’re selling is truly infectious – there’s an immediate emotional transference available with a face-to-face interaction that is a lot harder to establish on the phone or on the Internet.
That’s why we seek out and recruit agents with an open mind, positive attitude, an air of determination, and a commitment to their self development. We’re proud to nurture a team of agents who believe in a bigger picture – they’re the kind of people we want to send out into the world to interact with the public. It’s not just the sales power of face-to-face that makes it so important to us. We get to hold the door open for in-person conversations as an important, nourishing part of everyday life.
As a face-to-face marketing business we see the value of real world, real people interactions in a big way. Having a positive, informed conversation with an engaging sales rep is just never going to lose its impact – especially in a time where audiences are bored with online ads and desperate for real world connections. To us, face-to-face just makes sense as an incredibly rewarding business model and an important function of our wider society. We predict that more brands and agencies will come to value its unique potential as our digital era progresses.