Your office is the face of your company and it’s vital that you make a good first impression when people come to visit. Whether they’re clients, business partners, or potential employees, they will make an immediate judgment of your business when they look around your office. If that initial impression is a negative one, it can be hard to come back from. In some cases, it could be the difference between a successful and an ineffective business meeting.
The problem is a lot of companies make mistakes without even realizing it. They think they’re making a good impression, but there are a few key elements that put people off right away.
These are the mistakes that offices make which create a bad first impression.
Poorly Maintained Exterior
As soon as people view your premises from the outside, they’re already imagining what your company is like. If the exterior is poorly maintained, they’ll likely assume that yours is a business that doesn’t focus on the details and doesn’t have much pride in itself. Giving the building a fresh coat of paint from time to time, and keeping any green areas in good condition, will make your office building look inviting and professional.
Vandalism is a big issue too, because if your office is covered in graffiti, or the windows are smashed, it doesn’t inspire much confidence in visitors. You can prevent vandalism with a mosquito device that emits a high frequency noise – to deter teens from loitering around your building. Putting up some CCTV cameras will act as a good deterrent too.
Not Being Greeted at Reception
When people enter your business for the first time, they expect to be greeted by somebody at reception and directed to wherever they need to go. It leaves a very bad impression if nobody is stationed at the front desk, and visitors are left to their own devices. As soon as they walk in, a receptionist should greet them and ask where they need to go. They should then be offered refreshments and given directions.
Uncleanliness
A messy, dirty office sends out a warning signal. It shows potential clients that you’re disorganized and you don’t care that much about your employees – so why would anybody want to work with you? Remember, the level of care that you give to your office demonstrates to others the level of care that you’ll give to your clients.
Hiring a cleaning service to clean your office regularly is important, but everybody working there has a responsibility too. Make sure that all employees keep their own desk areas clean and tidy, and all of the communal areas are left spotless too. This is especially important in the office kitchen where mess can quickly build up.
Your office space is a representation of your company brand, and you need to treat it as such. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes to make the most of your business.
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