Business today is a digital jungle. Everyone’s got a phone glued to their hand, firing off emails, slinging Slack messages, and hopping onto Zoom calls like it’s second nature. And in a way, that’s exactly what it is. It is learned behaviour, supported by an implicit consensus that smartphones and the apps they host are inevitable and indispensable. Those who exist in the modern business ecosystem have adopted them as virtual appendages en masse for a very good reason—the market has taught them to constantly embrace the newest tech or be left behind as an irrelevant relic, losing their earning power in the process.
The Evolution of Communication
But that does not change the fact that the way we communicate has been totally torn down and rebuilt several times over the past few decades—just ask anyone old enough to remember when faxing was a thing.
The Rise of Global Connectivity
Consider these numbers: in 1990, less than 1% of the world had access to the internet. By 2000, that number had been bumped up to 5%. These days, it’s pushing 66%, according to the International Telecommunication Union. That means that in three decades, we’ve gone from a world where long-distance calls were an expensive luxury to a world where billion-dollar deals get done over WhatsApp for free.
The Power of Human Connection in Business
But even during this mindbogglingly interconnected world where there are myriad ways to communicate with people through electronic devices, something singular and special remains about direct human-to-human contact—especially when it comes to building lasting business relationships. People are still people. We’re hardwired for real human connection, whether Silicon Valley likes it or not. You can have all the LinkedIn connections in the world, but if you can’t sit down and have a meaningful conversation with someone, shake their hand, and look them in the eye, you’ll always be missing out on creating something valuable—a personal relationship.
Introducing Michael Rustom: A Bridge Between Tech and Trust
That’s where Michael Rustom comes in. A Toronto-based business consultant with a knack for cutting through the noise, Rustom has spent his career in between two areas of specialty: IT, where tech is king, and sales, where trust and human connection are the currencies that matter most. Because he spent his career at the intersection of these two disciplines, he is uniquely qualified to share his thoughts on the matter.
The Importance of Face-to-Face Interaction
“Technology is great. You need access to the best and most up-to-date equipment, obviously,” Rustom says. “But if you think you’re building meaningful relationships through an endless chain of emails, you’re probably kidding yourself. At some point, you need to show up and actually meet the people you’re in business with. In person. That’s how you close the deal.”
Trust: The Foundation of Sales Success
Sales, especially, have always been about relationships. A 2023 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that customer loyalty isn’t just about the product—it’s about the overall customer experience, including the sales interaction. And a 2022 study by Mercuri International found that 99% of B2B decision-makers consider trust crucial when selecting a supplier. The bottom line is that you can crunch numbers all day, but at the end of it, people buy from people they trust. And trust is not built through a perfectly worded email using focus group-tested phraseology.
The Limitations of Digital Communication
“Just because you’re pinging back and forth with someone on Messenger doesn’t mean you actually have a genuine relationship,” Michael Rustom points out. “You can’t read body language and facial expressions properly through a screen—let alone the unspoken dynamics of an entire room. You can’t pick up on those little cues that tell you whether someone’s really engaged or just nodding along until you stop talking. That stuff matters more than people realize.”
Lessons from the Pandemic: The Value of Human Connection
The pandemic years proved that, sure, business can function remotely. But post-pandemic? Companies are figuring out precisely what they lost during the lockdowns and ensuing work-from-home movement. A 2023 study published by Oxford Academic found that remote and hybrid workers know fewer of their colleagues and have fewer strong workplace relationships, suggesting that the hybrid model can impede the development of healthy interpersonal connections. And customers? They feel the same way. Sure, digital tools are essential, but they don’t replace the power of face-to-face interaction.
Balancing Technology and Personal Relationships
Rustom’s take? Use the tech, don’t let it use you. “You want to send an email? Great. Follow up with a call. Better yet, get in the car, hop on a plane, and meet in person. That’s how trust gets built. Face-to-face is where business really happens.”
The Final Word: Relationships Matter Most
In the end, it comes down to a simple truth: technology can help, but it can’t replace the magic of real-life human interaction. Or, as Rustom puts it, “You can have the fanciest CRM system in the world, but if you’re not picking up the phone or meeting your best clients for a working lunch now and again, you are hampering yourself significantly.”
