As I was saying …

As I was reviewing my schedule of upcoming industry meetings on my BlackBerry® figuring out by e-mail who would be attending and learning of still more industry events through my LinkedIn connections, I had what you might call a moment of rare illumination: This whole communication thing has gone nuts. My conclusion was reinforced when NRCA recently was advised the U.S. Department of Energy no longer responds to letters but only to e-mails.

During the next two months, NRCA staff and members will be attending the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, Solar Power International 2009, China Roofing & Waterproofing 2009, Midwest Roofing Contractors Association's National Conference, National Roofing Legal Resource Center's annual seminar and NRCA's Fall Committee Meetings and Legislative Conference.

A fair question to ask, especially in a down economy, is: Is this all worthwhile?

And here's what I conclude: Meetings matter. They matter because no matter how many times you see "LOL" in your messages, you can never really gauge whether the other person is laughing. No matter how many times you receive angry-looking e-mails (you know, capital letters and boldface type), you never know whether the other person is mildly irritated or ready to heave a rock at you.

There is an emerging body of behavioral study suggesting that face-to-face communication is more persuasive, more permanent and more revealing than other kinds of communication. Good salespeople will tell you one-on-one selling is incredibly more effective than direct mail or, heaven help us, selling by electronic messaging. Body language is important, for one thing. And it's much easier to type the word "no" than it is to say it.

Meetings also matter because they are the best way to achieve a consensus. And for organizations like NRCA, consensus-building is crucial.

It's worth noting that most of the roofing industry's conventions and trade shows this year have had healthy attendance. Maybe the reason is no more complicated than misery loves company. I doubt it. I think the better explanation is we all know we learn more and make better decisions when we are with others. So here's to a successful meeting season. And if you want more information about any of the meetings and conventions I mentioned, we'll be happy to answer your letters and telephone calls.

Bill Good is NRCA's executive vice president.