Why Face-to-Face Still Matters in a Digital World

November 5, 2025

| 2 min read

Tom Hedges

Tom Hedges is co-founder of Remora, a marketing consultancy for B2B SaaS and technology companies. With over a decade of experience leading growth and brand strategy across fintech, security, and M&A, Tom helps businesses turn complex ideas into clear positioning, measurable marketing performance, and sustainable lead generation.

When you work across time zones and continents, virtual meetings are essential. Tools like Teams and Zoom have made collaboration easier and more efficient than ever. But after our recent trip to meet customers in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, one thing became clear: nothing replaces the value of being in the same room.

At Remora, we often spend our days deep in strategy sessions, audits, and digital campaigns. It’s easy to feel close to clients when we speak with them regularly online. Yet spending a few days together in person changes everything, from the pace and energy to the level of understanding.

Real Conversations Build Real Trust

A face-to-face meeting allows for nuance. You can read body language, sense hesitation, and explore ideas that would never surface in a half-hour call. Over coffee or dinner, people open up about challenges that rarely make it onto a Teams agenda.

During our trip, these honest moments led to stronger partnerships and clearer plans. We discussed long-term goals, not just quarterly metrics. We spotted new opportunities to improve performance and strategy because the conversation flowed naturally, without screens, time delays, or distractions. It also helped that our customers are great people!

The Missing Depth of Virtual Meetings

Online calls have a clear purpose: quick alignment, progress updates, problem-solving. But they rarely allow the kind of creative or strategic thinking that happens when people share physical space.

When you meet in person, ideas evolve differently. Sketches replace slides. Conversations go deeper. You find clarity faster. Our meetings in the US weren’t about ticking off an agenda; they were about understanding how our clients think, what pressures they face, and how we can support them better.

A Simple Reminder for Leaders

If you lead a business or manage clients, ask yourself: when was the last time you sat down with your customers in person? You might think the cost or time isn’t worth it, but it almost always is.

In-person meetings help you see what your clients truly value. They create accountability and foster long-term trust. When you show up, listen, and engage face-to-face, you’re not just another name on a video call, you’re a partner they can rely on. You’re someone that bothered to get on a flight and visit them in person rather than just a bunch of pixels on a screen.

Blending Digital and Personal

That doesn’t mean abandoning digital tools. Far from it. The best relationships combine the consistency of virtual communication with the strength of real-world connection. Technology keeps us efficient; travel keeps us grounded. Both are essential.

At Remora, our week in the US reminded us that strategy doesn’t just happen in documents or dashboards. It happens in conversations, often over coffee, shared laughter, and honest dialogue.

If you haven’t met your clients, investors, or partners in person for a while, book that flight. The ROI on human connection is impossible to measure, but unmistakable when you feel it.

Want to chat further? Then get in touch – click here

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Why Face-to-Face Still Matters in a Digital World

Tom Hedges

Table of Contents

Real Conversations Build Real Trust

The Missing Depth of Virtual Meetings

A Simple Reminder for Leaders

Blending Digital and Personal

Want to chat further? Then get in touch – click here

Blog Categories

Social Sharing

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