Could This Have Happened on a Teams Call? Probably Not.

By Donald Swartz, President

Recently, I made the trip to St. Louis to see a long-time strategic partner. It had been more than a year since we last sat across the table from each other, and the timing finally lined up. We certainly talked business, but just as important, the visit gave us a chance to reconnect and keep strengthening a relationship that has served both of our organizations well for years.

That trip reminded me of something I believe has only become more true over time: you can never underestimate the power of connecting in person.

One Trip, Two Meetings

As I was heading to St. Louis, I reached out to one of our Indurante clients to see if they might be available for lunch while I was in town. We had met in person a few years earlier, and I was thrilled when they said yes. It’s not every year that I get to sit down face-to-face with a taxpayer we work with, so I was glad to make the most of it.

We started where good conversations usually start: catching up on the important things, which in this case meant family and sports. Only after that did the conversation drift toward business. And somewhere between the small talk and the check arriving, a new opportunity came up. The client mentioned a Kansas City facility, and that led to a conversation about having the Swartz team review property tax issues at the local level for that location.

Nobody walked into that lunch planning to discuss this new opportunity. It simply came up, the way things do when people are relaxed, attentive, and actually in the same room together.

Could It Have Happened on a Teams Call?

Possibly. If that Kansas City facility had been an agenda item, we certainly could have covered it on a phone call or a Teams meeting. Virtual tools are valuable, and we use them every day to serve clients efficiently across a wide geography.

But that is exactly the point. It was not on anyone’s agenda. Scheduled calls tend to stay on script: we cover the items, confirm next steps, and hang up. There is rarely room for the side comment that turns into a real conversation. In person, those openings happen naturally. The fact that this opportunity surfaced organically, over lunch, reinforces what I have long believed about the power of simply being there.

What In-Person Gives You That a Screen Cannot

Over the years, I’ve noticed a few things that face-to-face meetings consistently deliver:

• Room for the unplanned. The best ideas and opportunities often come from tangents. In-person conversations leave space for them.
• Deeper trust. Property tax work involves sensitive financial information and long-term decisions. Clients want to know the people behind the advice, and that trust builds faster when they can shake your hand.
• Better listening. Without the distractions of a second monitor or an inbox pinging in the background, both sides are more present. You pick up on tone, body language, and the concerns people do not always say out loud.
• A signal of commitment. Showing up takes time and effort, and people notice. Making the trip tells a partner or client that the relationship matters to you.
• Relationships that last. A shared meal or conversation creates a personal connection that carries through every call and email that follows.

Making Face-to-Face Part of the Routine

In-person connection does not have to mean a special trip every time. Opportunities are all around us if we look for them:

• Piggyback on travel. If you are already heading to a city for one meeting, reach out to other clients and partners in the area. That is exactly how my St. Louis lunch came together.
• Show up at conferences and industry events. These gatherings put many of the people you work with in one place, often with built-in time to connect.
• Keep it casual. A lunch, a cup of coffee, or an after-hours refreshment can do more for a relationship than a formal meeting ever could.
• Put it on the calendar. For your most important relationships, plan an annual or periodic in-person visit so it does not keep getting pushed aside.
• Let business come second. Go in to reconnect, not to pitch. When the relationship comes first, the business conversations tend to follow on their own.

Everyone Wins

Whether it is lunches, conferences or scheduled in-person events, it’s critical to recognize the value of the in-person relationship. It is easy to lose sight of this when virtual meetings are so convenient, but I have repeatedly seen the positive results when we make the effort. Clients feel better served, partnerships grow stronger, and new opportunities surface that might otherwise have stayed hidden. Everyone wins.

So if your situation allows, take the time to make face-to-face happen. Pick up the phone, suggest lunch, or add an extra stop to your next trip. I think you will be pleased with the results.

As always, please reach out to me at or . Better yet, let’s see if we can meet in person 😊

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!