If I told you that making more in-person sales calls would help increase sales I doubt you’d say “prove it.” But most sales people agree with me for the wrong reasons.

Most sales people would say they can get across their sales pitch much more effectively in person. I wouldn’t disagree.

But at ambro.com we focus on big breakthroughs and big sales. The skills to make those breakthroughs involve more listening than talking.

It is for the listening, not the talking, that being in the room with your prospects is especially valuable. “It’s harder to follow cues such as expressions on people’s faces in two dimensions,” according to Dr. Carlos Ferran, D.B.A., assistant professor of Management Information Systems at Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Richard D. Arvey, a psychologist and professor with the National University of Singapore, says, “You can’t see someone frowning on a conference call.”

Dr. Arvey uncovered research attesting to the benefits of face-to-face meetings while preparing a report for Hilton Hotels called “Why Face-to-Face Business Meetings Matter.” Studies indicate 85 percent believe face-to-face meetings are more likely to result in breakthrough thinking; 82 percent believe that meetings bring out the best in people.

Oxford Economics study results on effectiveness of virtual vs. in-person meetings

A new study by Oxford Economics, a global research firm, provides clear evidence that business travel for in-person meetings leads to an increase in both corporate revenue and profits. The study found that every dollar invested in business travel results in $12.50 in added revenues and $3.80 in new profits.

So how do the very best advertising sales executives get more facetime?

• Send a message to hard to reach people that you will be in their area or in from out of town and would like to bring by coffee or buy them a meal.
• Go to more trade shows knowing who you are looking for.  Staffers at trade show booths will point out the person you need to connect with.
• Local sellers should join multiple service groups to make more in- person connections, and should especially join the Chamber of Commerce and attend their events to get facetime.
• In local markets, attend events like home shows and boat shows and food shows to meet business owners.
• When the going gets really tough to reach an important decision-maker, befriend the receptionist to get information about their favorite pastimes so you can invite them to an event that will be very hard to say “no” to; be it a sporting event, the opera, or a fishing trip.

Then remember, you fought for that facetime in order to do more listening than talking.

Here are more ad-sales appointment getting tips: get ad sales appointments by starting at the top,  and do a better job structuring your time, and four keys to getting more high-level ad sales appointments.