Win Over Your Clients the Moment They Step in to Your Office

Some people like to believe that it is the job of marketing to win over clients. However, this is only partially true. Imagine a scenario where someone sees your brilliant ad and decides to do business with you. Now, on a billboard or on a commercial, your company seems impeccable. First, you have an organization on which even some of the greatest conglomerates would envy you. Furthermore, your headquarters look like something out of a sci-fi movie and with everything automated all they have to do is show up and have all their requests met.

In reality, however, the place they come to is completely unimpressive, the receptionist is not there and people keep walking past them like they are invisible. It isn’t impossible to imagine how quickly they would abandon the idea of ever doing business with you.

Luckily, things could go the other way around as well. With a bit of strategical thinking, the right decoration and even better hiring policy, you could win over your clients from the very moment they step inside of your office. Here are some tips on how to make this happen.

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Start with the Entrance

First things first, you need to keep in mind that you can never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Because of that you need to start with the entrance to your office. Is the logo of the company clearly visible from the road? If not, this is something you need to work on it a bit. One of the ways to improve its visibility at night time is by using spot lighting directed at it.

Next, you need to provide enough parking space for potential clients and make sure they are the ones next to the entrance. Apart from that, it is absolutely vital that you have a disabled access. Sure, most people probably won’t notice such a thing, but those that do will be impressed, even moved by this.

The Reception Desk

The second step towards making a good impression on your clients is supposed to happen once they walk through your office doors. In other words, at your reception. While this may seem as something simple to arrange, you would be surprised how many things there are you need to pay attention to. For example, having a reception desk that is too high can be intimidating to your clients, so you need to keep it low and inviting. Furthermore, what is on top of it matters, as well. Here, you should go with branded materials like business cards and pens to take away. Apart from this, you need to have a bowl of brandy sweets as a subtle welcome sign to your future clients.

The Rest of Your Reception

Try to remember that there is more to a reception than just the desk. You never know how long your clients are going to be waiting in the lobby and the longer they spend there the more details they are about to notice. The first thing that will concern them is the seating solution you have available and how comfy it is. This is why, it is usually for the best to go with a sofa. Additionally, they are going to start noticing the hygiene at the place and this will reveal quite bit about your business from a professional standpoint. For this reason alone, it might be for the best to look through local office cleaning services to handle these things.

Moreover, your clients may start noticing details like indoor plants and art you have on display. This brings us to the issue of walls. While this is up to a great deal of debate, there are few things you absolutely must have on display. First, there must be a large company logo right above the reception desk, so that is visible as soon as one enters the place. Next, you need to have some regulatory info displayed (fire exit signs are the most common example). Finally, if you have any special certificates, or better yet awards, you need to display them where they are sure to be seen.

Receptionist as Key Figure

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Finally, you need to address the issue of the receptionist. Seeing how this is a first member of your team that a future client will encounter, it is vital that you both select the right person for the job and groom them properly for this position. For starters, you need to find someone positive; someone who is constantly in a good mood in order to subconsciously influence the visitor’s own behavior.

Next, you need to explain to them how vital is the position of a receptionist to your company (it is not just another entry-level job). Instruct them to offer refreshment, aforementioned sweets and even some of the promotional material you have on display. Keep in mind that while some of these things can be taught, the sense of empathy is not a skill one can acquire through training. You need to look for it while hiring.

In Conclusion

As you can see, by just following these four simple steps, you can ensure that you start winning your clients over from the very moment they step onto your premises. Still, while first impression plays a vital role, on its own it is not enough. If your negotiators are bad or if the services/prices you offer are not of a high enough quality, even the best designed front desk and world’s best receptionist won’t be able to help you. They are only there to give you a slight competitive edge. Nonetheless if you play your cards right, this is all that you will ever need.

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