MONTGOMERY CO. LUNCHEON Wednesday, May 28 11:30 a.m. at Americas Restaurant 21 Waterway Ave., The Woodlands, 77380 Cost: $40 earlybird; $50 beginning May21 Speaker: Virgil Yoakum, Johnson Development Co.


REGISTER: www.ghba.org/calendar


MCBDD BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Chris McGinley, Kurk Homes Vice President: Matthew Reibenstein, Royal Homes Treasurer: Michael McNall, Builders Post-Tension Secretary: D’Ann Brown, CGP, CGA, StrucSure Home Warranty Past President: Eric Alarid, GMB, Tilson Home Corp. Bill Carter, Bison, a Stock Building Supply Co. Jason Hajduk, IDS Engineering Group Sarah Iandoli, Schlage Lock Company Randy Lutz, BMC Building Materials Keith Rodgers, All Services Group Scott Stevens, Stoecker Corporation


Article by 2014 Montgomery County Builders & Developers Division President Christopher M. McGinley, president of Kurk Homes


THANK YOU TO OUR 2014 MCBDD ANNUAL SPONSORS


PLATINUM


Virtual vs. Reality MONTGOMERY COUNTY


DIVISION NEWS


I recently read an interesting article by Jim Cathcart, a professional author, speaker, trainer and consultant. It got me thinking about the nature of our Montgomery County meetings and events. Meeting on a regular basis, in person, helps build trust and cama- raderie among our group. We rely on each other for support and advice. So, let’s do it right at the MCBDD! Stay involved, listen to each other, connect, and participate. I hope to see you at our next meeting.


Following is an excerpt from his article:


There’s so much talk about “virtual” versus “in-person” lately. Let’s put it to rest. Take the word “virtual” – it means to have the virtue of, but not necessarily the nature of something.


Truly Virtual: Can Face-to-Face Meetings be Replaced?


Teleconferences are, by virtue, TV shows. But by nature, they have something more—live in- teraction. Above all, they are conferences. The main difference is format. You’re still talking with the same people about the same things.


GOLD


For example: GoToMeeting via your computer is a meeting. Expectations, behavior, and com- munication are much the same as an in-person event. The technology simply changes some of the rules, and what works in person may not work as well online. Likewise, a Skype conference is still a conference, just using some cool tools; that’s the only difference.


But… SILVER


The one quality that emerges from in-person events, and not so much from virtual meetings, is trust.


We are hard-wired to connect best when we’re interacting face-to-face. There are thousands of subtle messages we send and receive via sound, movement, timing, eye contact and touch that are essential to human bonding. So, if the purpose of your meeting is to build bonds between participants, then do it in person. Once the bond is created, then you can use more virtual contact.


42


I recall a day years ago when my insurance agent sent my wife and me a summary of our coverage. The same day, I’d received a mailer from a competitor offering better prices. My wife and I liked our agent, but the price was really an issue. I said, “You know, we’ve been with Dave for 13 years now, and he’s treated us well. But we haven’t seen him in person for over two years. Let’s check out this other company.” Paula said, “Okay, but first let’s call Dave.” (Loyalty and consideration are strengths of hers.)


When Dave came through our door, everything changed. Upon seeing his smile and shaking his hand, I remembered how much I liked and trusted him. He sat down with us and listened, then summarized our needs and recom- mended several changes. We dropped some coverage, and added others. The net effect? We increased our insurance expenditures! Yes, we spent more, but were happy to do so because we knew that we now had the right coverage and an agent we could trust. Sometimes a face-to-face meeting is vital.


We still don’t see Dave in person very often, but we do get phone calls and personal notes. We also know that he won’t let much time pass without an in-person visit. When is the last time you met in person with your key contacts?


The bottom line? There is great value and convenience to such artificial experiences, but they will never actually replace human touch.


In short, there will never (in my humble opin- ion) be a viable replacement for face-to-face, hand-to-hand human contact. But then again, an iPhone can’t replace a hammer. Some needs call for direct contact and many others can be delegated to the dance of the digits (1s & 0s) in your technology. Growth requires resistance, so embrace your challenges daily. Here’s to the spirit of growth!


Jim Cathcart is the bestselling author of 16 books and a “hall of fame” professional speaker. He has worked with 2,700 clients worldwide over his 35 years as a trainer and consultant. Jim is the founder of Cathcart.com and a frequent coach to many of his colleagues and clients.


MAY 2014 | HOUSTON BUILDER | GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE


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