Traditional business “looks” are a thing of the past. Gone are the days when you simply needed a desk and a working computer to be ready to set up shop. You need to step up your game to influence your potential clients.
Your customers’ eyes are no longer attracted by fully stocked shelves and your passionate approach.
Conditioning your customers through every aspect of your operation will have a lasting effect on them and help you
Conditioning your customers through every aspect of your operation will have a lasting effect on them and help you create positive impressions.
The moment a customer walks through the door, subtle messages should be readily barraged to their minds. These notions can be conveyed through a number of methods. Your colour scheme and ambience can set the tone for how you want your customers greeted.
The goal is to garner as many encouraging emotions as you possibly can. Make them feel welcome, thrilled, assured, and comfortable all at the same time. You can bombard your customer with a rich variety of details or impress them with overwhelming minimalism.
The level of competition among businesses has levelled up so much, it became a science. Imprinting your brand to your customer demands full adoption of the digital age’s advancements. As your customers modernize, so should your business.
Make That Impression Last
Have you tried visiting a restaurant where the furniture is worn out, paired with a dirty floor? You may have a sumptuous meal there, but the chances are that you are not going back.
First impressions do last. Modern customers with their modern lifestyle rely on the world wide web for these impressions. They share them online and that can spread like wildfire.
As much as the quality of service, keeping up with deadlines, and trustworthiness are the foundation of a strong business, influencing customers’ impressions should also be in check.
The digital age presents customers with a bounty of options. Being a step ahead of the competition means that you need to stand out from all the other choices they are offered.
Extensive research shows that office design plays a major role in business performance, albeit it is one of the many aspects. This is confirmed by a 2011 UK study on The Impact of Office Design on Business Performance.
The study detailed that inviting and keeping your customers are among the 8 principal factors of business performance (External Expression) related to office design.
Leaving a positive impression can be achieved by concentrating on these 5 key areas.
1. The Shop’s Façade and Entry
Your entrance and reception areas must project an impressive image. Wherever your business is located, the entrance to your establishment is what your patrons and potential customers first see.
Take into consideration the following:
- Cleanliness of the exterior – is it clear of debris? How regularly is it maintained? Take into account the neatness of the outer parts of your store.
- The windows and doors – be meticulous about the glass windows, doorknobs, and hinges. Leaving these unchecked may give an impression of laziness. Make sure that your doors are in good working order.
- Your reception’s layout – consult experts on how to neatly organize your reception area while maximizing the functionality of the space.
- Psychology of colours – the colour of the façade of your business establishment also contributes to its appeal. There is a science behind choosing the right colour for your business’ motif or theme.
To make your interior attractive, you can decide on floor matting, tiles, parquet, or any other floor material. It is important to note that a mat is both practical and attractive.
Moreover, mats can provide an extra dimension to your business marketing and promotional campaigns if you print your brand on it.
Here are more advantages of having mats in your business space:
Having floor mats at your entrance doorway is the most efficient way of preventing trips and slips caused by wet floors.
It also gives your visitors a sense of being welcomed and it shows that you care about your clients. Alsco Welcome Mats and Anti-fatigue Mats can guarantee that you will achieve these objectives.
Gone are the days when mats were lifeless looking rugs. Modern technology has integrated aesthetics and science in the process of mat production.
It brings together designs, colours and patterns to complement your business’ theme.
Technological advances in Chromojet printing make it possible to actually print any intricate image onto a mat. This enhances your branding strategies as you can print your company logo or a simple welcome message.
Personal Mats and Message Mats that are available at Alsco can also allow you to use icon imagery to communicate indirectly with your clientele.
2. Let There Be Light
There is a science behind illuminating your workplace. A recent study showed that more than half of Generation Y prefers natural and/or artificial lighting while only a few favoured having half artificial/half natural lighting at their workplace.
It is also important to know the effect of lighting on circadian rhythms. This rhythm commands our body clock and acts as stimuli for alertness and emotions. The circadian rhythm is disrupted in a poorly illuminated environment.
It is, therefore, important to take into consideration the brightness and tone of the bulbs you are going to use. Your lighting requirement should, of course, blend into your interior theme.
Have in mind that there are a lot of creative ways to have excellent lighting inside your business venue.
3. Impeccable Restrooms
You can actually determine the status of a hotel based on its restrooms. It is a no-brainer that your washroom makes a very strong impression on clients, customers, and visitors.
It is an accepted concept that an establishment’s washroom speaks volumes about how the business treats its customers.
Here are some pointers on how to maintain a great restroom:
- Make sure that there is an adequate supply of toilet necessities. The lack of a tissue roll, for example, can cause ultimate exasperation. Always have your dispensers regularly checked and filled.
- In addition to having your dispensers filled on a regular basis, it is also important to check if they are working. There is nothing more frustrating than to learn that a full dispenser won’t dispense. Take care of your restroom equipment and regularly check everything from electric hand dryers to feminine hygiene bins.
- Everybody loves using a restroom that smells great. Foul odours are inevitable to some extent, but there are ingenious ways to take care of them. These include proper ventilation, using good cleaning products and odour eliminating sprays that automatically release pleasant refreshing scents.
Alsco is a name to remember for automatic odour eliminating sprays. The wide range of the Washroom Hygiene service includes the provision of programmable mounted air fresheners. This can ensure that your restroom is fresh round the clock.
Go that extra mile with your business’ interior design. Let your creativity add some character to your restroom. This will take you one step closer to your objective – making a strong first impression.
Remember that your clients and guests will always share their experience with their network of friends. Having a well-kept and efficient restroom with excellent interior design will ensure that their experience is very much positive. This will improve your brand and supplement your marketing efforts.
4. Go Green, Go Natural
Add up to your business’ image by adding a little greenery here and there. Make it a part of your overall interior design.
Plants and trees can influence emotions. Therefore, a plant or two on a desk or in a corner can make people feel more comfortable and relaxed. Consequently, this facilitates productivity and cooperation levels among your staff.
Plants improve air quality and that boosts working conditions at an office. Working in a pleasant and healthy environment makes people more motivated. It also reduces the number of sick days taken.
Results of the study by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) from 2010 highlighted the effects of plants at the workplace.
This study showed that plants contributed to the decrease of tension/anxiety (37%), depression/dejection (58%), anger/hostility (44%), and exhaustion (38%) in the workplace.
All this translates well into a good impression that customers get about the business. The sense of productivity, creativity, and overall positive workplace atmosphere plants evoke send the right message to any customer.
There are even some large businesses that integrate nature with their office and turn to office landscaping services. You can make your own garden inside the office, just make sure it is properly maintained.
5. Coffee or Tea?
How about offering customers a cup of complimentary coffee or tea? It is not a far-fetched idea or a cheap shot.
There is nothing wrong with providing courtesy items to guests and customers. Moreover, it makes your customers feel pampered and esteemed
Your treat doesn’t necessarily have to be a hot beverage. Coffee or tea can be replaced by bottled water or a bowl of mints on the reception desk.
These simple efforts can help your brand more than you think. They can also make a difference in any given competitive industry.
Alsco Can Help
The right impression is garnered when science, creativity, and hard work are put into good use. This is easily achieved when you have proper help. We at Alsco provide our clients with efficient solutions to maximize their brand visibility and operational efficiency.
We can help you maintain a hygienically clean workplace restroom or provide you with branded floor mats for lobbies, reception, and general working areas.We can even offer expertly laundered table linen and uniforms.
Talk to us and let us discuss avenues toward success. You may contact Alsco online via our inquiry form or you can call your nearest branch.
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia
