Young Entrepreneurs Prefer Email
According to a new Vodaphone poll of over 1,100 British businesspeople, younger entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to email over telephone and face-to-face meetings. The rate of phone use in the pursuit of new clients drops by almost a third from the over-40 group to those under 40.
Face-to-face is still considered the most effective channel for winning business, however, only 20% of managing directors and business owners said they would not do business with someone they had not met in person. And while 60% of business people said they would not work with someone they had not spoken to on the phone, consider the flip side: that means that 40% would do business with people they hadn't even spoken to on the phone.
The pollsters tout the idea that face-to-face is still the preferred (67%) way to do business, but again, consider the flip side: 33% prefer to do business virtually. That's a huge shift, and one that doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
The poll also showed that while the use of social networking sites for business is still not widespread, "almost half (47%) of those in their early 20s still preferred to network online despite the minimal chances of successfully closing a deal."
Again, that's a huge shift. Are you ready for it? Check out some of the resources below to learn more about how to successfully build relationships online:
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Comments
It never ceases to amaze me how the internet has changed the face of business (and the world). It will be interesting to see how it continues to affect face-to-face interaction! Thanks for posting this!