Making lasting impressions: Key ways for your business to make a good first impression
Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels
As small businesses make up 99.9% of the UK’s business population, it is no wonder that they are the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of small businesses decreasing by 6.6% since 2020. However, the economic disruption of the pandemic is finally starting to fade, and small businesses in particular are starting to recover. There is an enthusiastic growth in equity funding among small businesses, which is a step in the positive direction. Funding alone will not sustain a business, however, as business-owners also need to make sure that they have a steady stream of clients. The first step in doing that, then, is to make good impressions.
Do your research
Preparedness is key, and this rings true when it comes to business as well. Experts say that while the research phase of business deals rarely gets coverage, most successful interactions occur when the potential business partners or clients have done their research before any contact has been initiated. It should be noted that businesses can lose opportunities due to lack of information. For 31% of businesses in the UK, France, and Germany, this happens more than once a year, while for 19%, this happens a few times a week. Being diligent in your research allows you to gain a better understanding of potential clients and business partners, thus helping you seize important opportunities and make good initial impressions.
Offer a positive working space
Another way to make a good first impression is to make sure that your office space is clean and organised. Given that around 1.6 million workers from Great Britain had a work-related illness from 2019 to 2020, keeping a strict hygiene policy, as well as deep cleaning your office space and equipment regularly ensures that your productivity remains high. If you don’t have a dedicated cleaning staff, consider hiring professional cleaners to do the job every few months or so. Remember that your office represents your business as well, and a clean working space implies that your business operates in an organised and methodical way. In turn, this makes it easier for business partners and clients to put their trust in you as well.
Bring them added value
A business deal should offer maximum benefits for all parties involved. As such, one good way to make a good impression on your potential business partner or client is to highlight the value that they gain from your meeting. This goes beyond the financial benefits that they can gain from your partnership. An added value should refer to something that your potential business partner or client will likely benefit from and that your competitors do not offer. Business and sales expert Tom Reilly also states that by emphasising the added value that you can offer, you position yourself as an industry expert, thus boosting the positive impression that your clients and business partners have of your brand.
A negative impression can be difficult to fix. As such, to give your business a boost when it comes to potential business partnerships and gaining new clients, you need to make sure that you make a positive first impression.
