I don't agree with the dichotomy here. There's no "more than" about it; interfacing with people is one of the most important ways that white collar professionals produce value for a company.
Most people I know, me included, are willing to go much further out of our way to accommodate those we've met and interact with in person. That's a large part of why things like industry conferences exist, despite how obvious it is that they're an ineffective and tremendously expensive way to communicate information.