As a business owner, the last thing you want is to make a poor first impression regarding clients and customers visiting your premises. If you are honest with yourself, what type of first impression is your business giving out?

You have seven seconds to make an excellent first impression with your business, so how can you make sure you don’t have to ask for a second chance to win people over?

Clear Entry and Signage

Your customers and clients need to be able to find you, and part of this is having your location and entrance signposted. The last thing you want is to have people getting lost or having to call you to find their way inside. Use straightforward and easy-to-read signage to indicate your location and that your entrance is easily accessible, especially if you share the building with other businesses.

Clean

It goes without saying that your building and interior need to be clean and tidy both internally and externally. Nothing is more off-putting than meeting a potential supplier or partner only to find they don’t care for their building. You must ensure your windows and doors are clean; your entranceway is uncluttered, sidewalks are clean and clear from debris and rubbish, floors are polished, carpets are vacuumed and cleaned, and all surfaces, including walls shining. You need to adhere to high cleanliness levels to make an excellent first impression. Commercial cleaning companies can help you to get your business premises up to standard so you can be confident everything is as it needs to be. 

Front of House

If you have a reception area or your Retail store has a window display, it needs to be up to the standard your clients and customers will expect. You must keep things clear and uncluttered, and any reception or Security staff must display exemplary behavior to everyone who enters the building or needs assistance. Treat everyone respectfully, make eye contact, acknowledge their presence, and be as helpful as possible.

In terms of the interior of your entrance or reception area, you want to keep it clear and fresh, and uncluttered to give out the right impression; the same goes for your display windows and store entrances; the last thing you want is for people to be put off by messy displays, worn units, and stock or a window display that looks unkempt and out of date.

Lighting

Your lighting needs to illuminate the space to help people see where they are going and feel comfortable outside when walking alone or after dark. Light up doorways, entrances, parking lots, and any pathways people need to navigate, e.g., coming off the main walkway around to the back of a property, loading yards, and more. This can increase security, bring attention to your business, and help you gain attention.

If you don’t make a good first impression with your building or premises in the first seven seconds, then you might not be able to climb back from this. So pay attention to how your building and land look to others from the outside and put effort into ensuring it always gives the right impression.

Originally Published on https://www.breakfastleadership.com/

Michael Levitt Chief Burnout Officer

Michael D. Levitt is the founder & Chief Burnout Officer of The Breakfast Leadership Network, a San Diego and Toronto-based burnout consulting firm. He is a Keynote speaker on The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and Burnout. He is the host of the Breakfast Leadership show, a Certified NLP and CBT Therapist, a Fortune 500 consultant, and author of his latest book BURNOUT PROOF.