First Impressions Are Everything In Business
By Business Desk
Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
A good first impression can build and trust with customers, employees and investors. These first impressions are important in all aspects of your business. Here are just a few ways to ensure you always get off on the right foot.
Dress to impress
Image Source
Whatever the industry may be, dressing well can make a difference. There are times when you can overdress – putting on a suit in a creative and entertainment job may come across too severe. However, under-dressing can often be more of a crime. Small features can make a big impression – polished shoes and a watch can show to people that you’re organised. You can also use colour to make psychological impressions of people, as this site Empowered by Colour details.
Professionalise up your premises
Your business premises – whether it’s an office or retail outlet – needs to give off an air of professionalism. With a retail outlet, an eye-catching and top quality shop front is important for luring in new customers. It’s often worth getting professional help from companies such as D4R – Retail Store Design. Picking the right items to display in your window is also important. In the case of an office where clients may come in on an invite basis only, you may not have to worry too much about outdoor signage, however the interior should still be warm and inviting. Offer guests tea or coffee, supply enough seating and make sure the interior is tidy and clean – a separate reception area can be handy to have.
Image Source
Design a winning website
Having an online presence is a must in this day and age. Your company website should serve much like a shopfront and should be eye-catching and clearly laid out to get new customers interested. There are many website builders such as WordPress that can allow you to create your own professional website for free, however for a website that truly stands out, investing in web design could be worthwhile.
Buy a suitable vehicle
If you have a company vehicle, this too needs to be appropriate. A cheap rust-bucket of a van may not reflect well on the nature of your business. That said, turning up in an expensive sports car could suggest to clients that you overcharge. Companies such as Iceman can be worth investing in to add branded graphics to your vehicle so that people can spot your company before it arrives.
Image Source
Improve your telephone manner
If the first contact you have with many clients is via the phone, a professional telephone manner is vital. Having a script may be useful for guiding clients through the nature of your business – this is useful both for cold-calling other people and picking up the phone.
Embellish your emails
You can also take steps to make your emails look more professional if this is likely to be the first point of contact. Most email services allow you to insert a digital signature after emails – this should include contact details such as phone number, website, company name and physical address if applicable. Make sure that you’re writing in a professional tone and pay close attention to spelling and grammar.
