Stress Person-to-Person Lease Negotiations

I recently read that a news item that stated that a reasonable argument can be made that the proliferation of electronic communication…email, has had a negative impact on our ability as business people to empathize with those we do business. Further, it would be difficult to argue that electronic communications hasn’t diminished our effectiveness in business in the name of efficiency.

Sending a brief email to a client or prospective new customer can be seductive because it’s often undisruptive to our daily routines and workflow. However, the limitations of electronic communication are obvious. Simply said, email doesn’t allow for flexibility in the communication process or, maybe better said, doesn’t allow one to “think on their feet” during a discussion.

I can appreciate this view first hand, as President / CEO of Carmen Commercial Real Estate Services, an Indianapolis commercial real estate brokerage company, specializing in Tenant Representation. When negotiating commercial real estate transactions, it is imperative to communicate in a direct manner: over the telephone at a minimum or whenever possible, in-person. One-to-one interaction should become a priority, especially after weeks of e-mails and text messages about key components of an office lease have morphed into a morass of fluctuating numbers and vague confirmations. When discussing the business impact of a significant real estate transaction, no one can afford to be confused.