Duke's Hot Beef
Last Thursday I stopped for dinner at Duke’s Bowl, a bar and bowling alley in the shadow of the Wisco Feed Elevator, the tallest structure in Abbotsford, Wisconsin. Duke’s is a simple and authentic place, adorned with Packers memorabilia from both regional and national breweries. Floor space in the bar is dominated by coin-operated amusements. The staff is welcoming in only the gruffest sense: when a new customer asked for the “non-smoking section,” the senior bartender raised an eyebrow, snuffed out his smoke, rounded the bar, and sauntered to a table in the corner. Removing two dirty ashtrays, he smirked. “Here.” I didn’t bother to leave behind any Hill Center brochures.
Duke’s menu features a sandwich that transcends its surroundings, simply and aptly named, “Hot Beef.” Wisconsin’s answer to barbacoa on a fresh, sturdy Kaiser roll, served with grated horseradish and basic barbeque sauce, the Hot Beef is a singularly satisfying gustatory experience. If Duke’s were the sort of place where a guy could comfortably set up a laptop, I might still be sitting there, a pile of discarded plates growing beside me. It isn’t. Nevertheless, I rarely miss an opportunity to stop there, in part because I am convinced that the Hot Beef can spring forth only from these surroundings, like a slightly greasy lotus flower. When I asked my server what cut of beef was used, she responded, “I dunno. It’s a huge chunk, and they make us cut the fat off. It’s gross.” Hot Beefs sell themselves. Good thing, too.
I found myself in Abbotsford returning from two days of meetings with a client team. We had worked remotely for several weeks, using teleconferences and videoconferences, and it was high time we got together, face to face. In general, we business people are often tempted to avoid travel, to save time, money, or the environment. It is easy to neglect the value of actual human contact, of sitting around a table with a team of people, working together to solve problems, generate ideas, or chat in between meetings and topics. In truth, the value of these experiences is hard to calculate, but nearly impossible to overestimate.
At our best, we human beings communicate with all of our senses, consciously and unconsciously. I have written about the importance of trust as the universal lubricant of effective commerce. Nothing builds trust like face-to-face contact, like real handshakes, shared laughter, and especially common frustration, resolved through persistent discussion. I was driving across Wisconsin last Thursday because this client team and I needed to communicate more clearly and fully than we could have through an electronic intermediary.
Electronic communication is a powerful business tool. Another Hill Center client, Sensory Environment Design (www.sedexperience.com), creates truly amazing electronic environments, and I am dazzled by the ever-improving quality of a/v technology. It is impossible not to respect and value the efficiency of a conference call or a Webinar presentation. However, the level and nature of communication that take place through these media are no match for the real thing. These tools are most effective among people who already know (and presumably trust) one another, or for sharing information that does not require a deeper level of communication. Such is very often the case, and thus a teleconference or videoconference is very often a great option.
By any means, communication is precious. I have long been guilty of paying too little attention on conference calls, of attending to other tasks rather than engaging fully in conversations. (This habit may reinforce my reluctance to rely on conference calls for difficult communications.) Increasingly, I try to engage in these discussions fully, or excuse myself entirely. If a discussion is worth having, it is worthy of my attention.
As the cost of travel rises, we can increase its value by making the most of our time together. We can listen with all of our senses, and ask the kinds of questions that benefit from eye contact. We can share ourselves as people as well as potential transaction partners or collaborators, and appreciate it when others do the same. The inevitable outcome of this enriched engagement is enhanced trust – or the awareness that trust is not warranted. Either way, we are wiser and better off for having paid close attention.
And, when it’s time for lunch, you could do worse than a Hot Beef. On, Wisconsin!
I cut my customer-service teeth in my parents’ sporting goods store, gathering information face-to-face about what customers wanted, asking questions to fill in the gaps and clarify needs. Now, as a telephone researcher, I do the same thing, but without the face-to-face contact. To compensate for this lack, I must be completely attentive not only to people’s words, but also to the sounds people make and the tone of their voices. To elicit informed opinions, draw out insights, perspectives, and the nuances of what people think and feel, I must listen with all my senses and be completely present, with no distractions.
I recently attended an annual meeting of business-to-business research professionals, where we had plenty of time for face-to-face networking and interaction. One memorable session was a last-minute pinch hitter for a missing speaker. Two members moderated a free-wheeling discussion of social networking that surprised, engaged, and excited us all. The value arose by tapping into the wisdom of the crowd, the considerable experience and brain-power of the attendees. It was a luxury for me to see their faces and read their body language as well as to hear their words.
Seth Godin believes that expectations for face-to-face interactions have changed now that we have so many electronic interactions. Godin's May 19 blog discusses what people expect from face-to-face meetings and conferences, now that there are so many electronic alternatives:
- From an in-person sales call: “that you'll be prepared, focused, enthusiastic and willing to engage honestly about the next steps. If you can't do that, don't have the meeting.”
- From a speaker: “more than they could get by just reading the transcript” [my addition: or PowerPoint presentation].
- From a conference: “surprise, juxtaposition, drama, engagement, souvenirs and just possibly, excitement.”
Seth ends: “The new rule seems to be that if you're going to spend the time and the money to see someone face to face, be in their face. Interact or stay home!”
To that I add, make that face-to-face contact really count.
Karen F. Thompson, President
Science Communications
Telephone Research, Writing and Editing
(651) 699-1069
Saint Paul, MN 55116
kft@usfamily.net