Why First Impressions Matter and How to Improve Yours
It’s hard to remedy a bad impression. Businesses run on communication as much as money, so it’s vital to create a good impression on those you connect with from the outset.
First impressions matter in business and can make or break a company. A positive experience can create a long-lasting business relationship. Hence, it’s important to work on that first impression. This includes how you present yourself, how you venture out in public, how you communicate with customers, and the way you promote your business.
Making a good impression is crucial when meeting customers, pitching to potential clients, or during presentations. And it’s is important to realize that first impressions count just as much online as they do offline. If your website visitors see your website as boring, bland, and substandard, they’ll view your whole business in the same way.
FREE Checklist: Common Business Mistakes You MUST Avoid
3 Ways To Improve First Impressions In Business
1. Be Professional and Confident
If you want to create a great impression from the outset, make sure you’re professional and confident in yourself and your company. Research your potential clients, and be clear how your products are invaluable to them instead of focusing on what others can’t do. This will build a positive impression from the beginning.
Examine how your business communicates and make sure you’re confident in what you’re offering. Your website might just be one page but, no matter what, you have to ensure that visitors to your site know exactly how your products and services can help them.
2. Look Perfect
When trying to make a good first impression, make sure you and your business look perfect. Be sure of the image you want to project. This will depend on your market. If you’re meeting investors or clients face-to-face, choose smart clothes that will flatter your shape and dress for work. Consider your personal grooming, accessories and what you wear.
If your business is eCommerce, remember that the majority of internet users access the web only using their smartphones. Ensure your site is easy to view on all size screens from a desktop computer to a smartphone. A flawless website design creates a welcoming first impression. It engages and draws in your visitors so they engage with your content.
There is fierce competition in the business world, so making a good first impression is pivotal, and it can make all the difference when trying to impress investors and win contracts. Improving your personal and business image is a good way to improve a potential client or investor’s first impression of your business. Encouraging a little faith in your business and abilities will help you scale your business.
3. Know You’re Communicating Even When You’re Not Speaking
Even when you’re not speaking verbally, you’re sending a message to the person you’re interacting with. Try to maintain eye contact as much as possible to show you’re an active and engaged listener. Smiling is a good way to show you’re a friendly person to interact with.
Keep your hands at your sides and stay in a relaxed position. This puts you and the person you’re interacting with at ease. By minding your body language, the person you’re speaking to will do the same. This is because people subconsciously mirror the physical behavior of those they’re talking to. Thus, if you present yourself as an approachable, open person, the other person will too.
The internet can be an impersonal business environment but when a business creates a solid relationship online they set themselves up for loyalty that can last for years. Â Ensure that every online communication to your audience is of extremely high quality, and helps them to solve some problem or make their life easier. Every piece of content you create should be created as if you were speaking to an individual person.
Free Checklist: The Top 10 Business Mistakes To Avoid
Not only do first impressions in business matter, so do repeat impressions. You know how a person has to see or hear your messages seven times before they choose to purchase? Well, it’s not much different when it comes to building business relationships.
In the world of business, you’re going to make some minor boo-boos and some cataclysmic mistakes. It’s all part of the learning process. Although mistakes are going to happen, you can avoid the common business mistakes and other pitfalls that are lurking around the corner. Download my free checklist, The Top 10 Business Mistakes and avoid the false moves and slipups that even veteran business owners and entrepreneurs and make.
