Feras Alhlou argues consultants should travel to meet clients in person for kickoff meetings, not just video calls. He says the walk to the meeting room itself teaches you things about the client's business, and face-to-face time with stakeholders builds relationships that remote work can't match.
If your client is local, encourage an in-person kickoff. Even if you have to travel a bit, it can be well worth it, especially if the project is substantial and the client has potential for future work. When you meet clients in person, you pick up information you simply can't capture over Zoom. I used to tell my consultants, the walk from the front door to the meeting room That walk alone can reveal insights about the organization that are worth their weight in gold. The in-person meeting also gives you the opportunity to strengthen relationships, not just with your primary contact, but with the other stakeholders as well.
