"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." On the surface,
the saying fits neatly in the " well. . . duh !" category. Everyone knows that!
The message below the surface is that managing first impressions is a
business philosophy adopted by the best companies.
If you are like me,
and I get the impression you are, we don't expect to get treated like royalty
everywhere you go. That's because places like the doctor's office, the grocery
store and the bank aren't accustomed to royalty here in the U.S. We do expect
to be treated like a customer, however, and we are often left feeling that the
doctor's office, the grocery store and the bank don't care much about how they
impress us.
Whatever business you are in, first impressions are important.
Customers and clients are lightning-like in their judgment of you and your business.
First impressions are lasting impressions. As examples:
- "I don't like
the angry tone of the person answering the phone."
- He said, "That's not
my department, you will have to call back later."
- "The waiting area reminds
me of the hall in front of the school principal's office."
- "His handshake
is like grabbing a dead fish."
- "You just about have to beg for someone
to take your order when you go there."
Why do first impressions
stick in the mind of the observer with such tenacity? Most likely, because we
humans operate more often at an instinctive level than a rational level. In The
New Yorker magazine of May 29, 2000, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an article entitled
"The New-Boy Network What Do Job Interviews Really Tell Us?" about
a study involving first impressions with teachers. The finding was that what we
conclude after two seconds of a video clip of a teacher is pretty much the same
as we conclude after twenty minutes or an entire semester. Something happens with
first impressions on a non-thinking level that is intuitive and not readily explainable.
If you accept that idea, then keep reading.
In the business you own or
work for, how are things in the first impression department?
- Do you have
a Managing Director of First Impressions on the staff?
- Are the
staff, crew and owner dressed for the part? See my blog entry for more about dressing
like deckhands. click
here
- Does the office, store, building look appealing from first sight
at the curb?
- Do your customers and clients look forward to, or dread,
calling your business?
Isn't it ironic that businesses spend
thousands of dollars on the latest industry technology, invest thousands of dollars
in recording keeping systems and squander thousands of dollars on advertising
when for just a few dollars more they can: plant flowers at the building entrance,
send a hand written thank you note to someone for becoming a client and acknowledge
all customers with a bright smile?
I help business owners with creating
a reaction as catalyst for customer service in their businesses. Would you like
to know more? click
here
