Despite the rise in virtual meetings, business executives prefer face-to-face meetings, according to the results of a recent Forbes Insights study.

The study, ‘’Business Meetings: The Case for Face-to-Face,”” was based on a June survey of 760 business executives. It found that 84% prefer in-person
contact to virtual because face-to-face meetings enable them to build stronger relationships (85%) and provide greater opportunity to “read”
another person (77%).

Nonetheless, teleconferences, videoconferences and Web conferences have grown as 58% of respondents said they were travelling less for business now
than in January 2008.Those that preferred virtual meetings cited the time savings (92%) and the financial savings (88%).

This is further proof that a person’s use of any tools needs to be carefully weighed against advantages and disadvantages.