(and other scientific knowledge…)
-Earlier this week, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting some clients in person here in France. We sat in a little village near where we live, looking out over the beautiful Tarn countryside, and shared a coffee, a croissant, and a proper chat.
-It made me reflect on how much things have changed over the last few years.
-In years gone by, I used to fly all over Africa to see clients. My passport was full of stamps from Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, and Nigeria. I spent countless hours travelling to all the hotspots just to sit across a table from the families I was working with.
-These days, it is a very different story. The vast majority of my meetings are done through a screen on Microsoft Teams.
The brilliant reach of technology
-Don’t get me wrong, the technology is fantastic. It allows me to help clients all over the world in a way that I simply could not have managed a few years ago. It saves time, it reduces costs, and it makes cross-border financial planning far more accessible for everyone involved.
-But occasionally, you get the opportunity to sit down in the real world. When I have the chance to share a coffee and a croissant with clients, I jump at it. In fact, if a client would prefer to meet in person, I may well jump on a plane to see them.
The science of a handshake (and a croissant)
-During our meeting this week, three hours went by in an absolute flash. We talked about their wealth, of course, but more importantly, we discussed their life, their future plans, and we had a good couple of laughs.
-That human connection isn’t just a nice bonus; it is actually the foundation of good financial planning. In fact, the research completely backs this up:
- We are hardwired to read the room.
-A recent study by psychologists at Brigham Young University found that replacing face-to-face interaction with video calls actually weakens our social connections. On a screen, we lose the subtle stuff; micro-expressions, synchronised timing, and the spontaneous little moments that build rapport. You cannot truly “read the room” when the room is a grid of digital boxes.
- Screens lower trust and increase misunderstandings.
-Researchers looking at modern team dynamics found a direct link between “virtuality” (relying on screens and emails) and lower levels of trust. When we only exist to each other as pixels, it is much easier for misunderstandings to happen and for relationship conflict to rise. Sitting across a table naturally builds empathy and diffuses that tension.
- The 95% rule for long-term success.
-There is a reason people still jump on planes for important conversations. A massive Harvard Business Review survey found that 95% of professionals consider face-to-face meetings absolutely critical for building and maintaining long-term business relationships.
-When you are planning someone’s financial future, a plan that spans decades, crosses borders, and helps shape their retirement, you need an absolute bedrock of trust. You just do not get that same depth from a 45-minute video call.
-Technology has made the world smaller, and our working lives far more efficient. But when it comes to truly understanding what somebody wants out of their life, nothing beats an in-person meeting.
-Whether we meet over Teams or over a coffee in the French countryside (or perhaps discussing the egg production of my chickens), the goal is always the same: getting your financial foundations sorted so you can focus on the future.
-If you need help making sense of your cross-border finances, let’s have a chat.
