Reinventing proximity in a ‘low touch’ economy

The Covid-19 pandemic radically changed our personal and professional habits. 

Since then, we have seen the emergence of a ‘low touch’ economy where personal contacts are avoided. 

Low touch sales are characterized by customer detachment. In other words, intuitive and accessible platforms facilitate online sales with fewer physical points of contact.  

In such an environment, we are tempted to reduce interactions, stop listening personally to clients, and make decisions driven exclusively by big data and algorithms. However, it would be a major mistake to let ourselves be solely guided by matters of efficiency and thereby undervalue well-supported intuition. 

A new world of risks and opportunities is opening where we must reinvent the value of proximity with our clients, our teams, and our key stakeholders. 

Reclaiming proximity 

Proximity remains essential in this hyper-competitive and hyper-digital world because it helps us to better understand the needs of consumers and teams; anticipate competitors; validate our intuition; test innovations; gain agility; and make wiser and better-informed decisions.  

We must not give in to the temptation to reduce personal interactions  with our clients

In the pre-Covid world, proximity was usually understood as personal contact, physical meetings, and face-to-face discussions. However, a new ‘hybrid proximity’ is emerging, where virtual channels can sustain good personal connections if you have the right skills. 

Telematic contact (however sophisticated it may be) does not have the richness of face-to-face contact, especially in more complex issues or relationships. However, intelligently used technology shortens the social distance imposed by circumstances, generates new opportunities, increases income and productivity, and cuts costs and inefficiencies. In short, it makes it easier to focus on what is important and has the greatest added value. 

Between face-to-face and digital

The pandemic accelerated the digitalization of business and millions more people suddenly arrived in the virtual world. These new arrivals are not digital natives, but they will be an excellent source of learning, business, experiences, and good social relationships. 

In this low touch economy, a new form of proximity has emerged that will continue as a key to success for businesses and professionals.  

This ‘hybrid proximity’ of face-to-face and digital communication is growing in importance. Good companies are already implementing an omnichannel approach, where each channel combines in a synergistic manner to improve customer experience.  

The name of the game is collective success rather than individual success. The feedback generated in each channel (including the learnings, successes, and mistakes) flows through the organization to drive continuous improvement. 

Technological advances are here to stay and bring great opportunities – and talented teams can multiply these effects. The sum of intelligences (artificial, human, scientific, and artistic) is fundamental, as Xavier Marcet explains in his articles. 

Today, those professionals and companies who focus on sustaining proximity are effective in an increasingly robotized and digital world.