We all the saying about how first impressions count and research has shown that it can take only between 30-60 seconds for people to make an opinion on someone and this goes for their opinion based on the environment that they have walked into as well. Many businesses use this knowledge to ensure that their reception areas are both welcoming and calm as well as being clean areas that reflect the branding of the business and their values. But what about your outdoor areas?

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Many companies forget about their outdoor environment and you can find that your visitors have made an impression on you and your business before they have even walked into the building. This is where using Grounds Maintenance Gloucestershire company gloucestershiregroundsmaintenance.co.uk/services/grounds-maintenance can help as they can regular maintain your outdoor area so that it positively reflects your business. This can include weeding any paving areas and brick work as well as giving them the occasional clean to have them looking sparkly and new as well as pruning and dealing with any overgrown areas and perhaps planting new items if there are old plants that have become damaged or died or areas of planting space that are looking a bit bare.

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Once you have your outdoor environment and your reception or entrance space working well for you it is then down to you and your staff to help continue the positive work in terms of maintaining the positive first impressions. There are some key things that you can do to help:

 

  • Make sure that you create a warm and welcoming environment for any visitors and that they are offered, where appropriate, a drink of some description and if left waiting for a particular member of staff they are shown to a comfortable seating area.
  • Handshakes are incredibly important in business but there are also one of the key points at which people make a decision about the person they are talking to. If the handshake is too aggressive, they may instantly be put off by the person and be waiting to the sold to and similarly a non-confident weak handshake can come across as thought the person is not confident in their abilities or may not be interested in the meeting. It is a hard balance to establish!
  • Office professionalism is also key to creating a good impression. You want the office environment to be warm and welcoming whilst still giving the view that everyone is hard working and focused on their clients.