iPad body language - does it work for client meetings?

I have been following a recent debate in the technology blogging 'scene' about whether the iPad is the ideal tool for client meetings or should be kept firmly in its case and replaced with the good old-fashioned pen and paper.

Weighing in for the Moleskine camp is Randy Murray, whose blog - Talk to me: client meetings without technology getting in the way - advises leaving all your gadgets (laptops, iPads or whatever else floats your boat) off the meeting room table and focusing on actually talking to your client.

His view is that: "The effect of seeing someone physically write a note is warm and personal, not cool and clinical like typing on a keyboard," and that this helps to build a connection with the client and shows them that you are interested in their story. Technology on the table just gets in the way of this.

In the iPad corner, we have Ben Brooks whose blog - Why the iPad is the best thing to happen to meetings since the 1960s - focuses on the productivity benefits of digital meeting notes.

Brooks says: "My entire meeting setup seeks to do one thing: let me move on to the next task the second the meeting is over."

In his view the iPad's flat configuration (as opposed to the barrier created by an open laptop) minimises any disruption and lack of focus and the productivity benefits outweigh any downsides. I find the silent keyboard also helps a lot with this.

So who is right?

I suspect the answer has to be that they both are (Ben also touches on this in his post). Client meetings aren't (or shouldn't!) be all about you... so a lot depends on the client's perception.

Ben asks his clients if they are comfortable with him using the iPad to take notes. Personally I tend to have a pretty good feel for which clients are likely to click with the iPad (and probably want to have a play with it) and those who would look at it like something from outer space, but for a first meeting asking if they mind is probably the way to go.

Generally though, I like the iPad as a tool for meetings. The productivity benefits of only inputting your notes once (rather than writing them and dictating a file note) fit well with the way I work and I actually find the iPad is pretty unobtrusive.

Whilst I wouldn't sit and type away on a laptop, the flat form factor of the iPad seems to create much less of a barrier than a laptop lid.

To me this is almost a body language issue. Sitting with a laptop in front of you gives an impression of being closed off and defensive in a way which is very similar to the body language of crossed arms.

The iPad, in contrast, sits flat on the table and doesn't close you off in the same way. It also makes it easy to pass round or share a document, email or web page just like a paper copy (although admittedly slightly heavier).

I also find it can be very useful for closing off issues which would otherwise need to be taken away as action points and dealt with later. A good example is company names:- if a client wants to incorporate a company called "XYZ Limited" I can check the availability right there and then and if it is taken they can choose something else - a lot more efficient than doing it when I get back to my desk and calling them to say it is taken.

Obviously this is nothing that you couldn't do on a laptop, but the laptop probably wouldn't be in the meeting in the first place... whereas the iPad is right to hand. Even if I'm not using it for notes it takes a couple of seconds to fire it up and get connected.

Personally I just think you need to make sure you pick the right meetings. And also, as Ben advises, don't forget to clean the screen first as greasy fingerprints don't add to the attractiveness of the device!

Jon Bloor is a corporate solicitor who blogs as both iPadLawyer and Peninsulawyer. Click here to follow Jon on Twitter.