First impressions are very important to your everyday life.   They are the basis of how relationships start and how businesses are seen by other people. So how do first impressions affect your business?

Our society is becoming more and more image–based. At your business one of the greatest influences on a customer’s first impression is the physical appearance of your workplace. People make assumptions about your business based on what it looks like before they enter your establishment. Impressions and decisions are made within seconds even before you have opened your mouth to speak. Once the assumption about your business has been made, it is very difficult to alter.

Clients are the income source for your business. If they are greeted for the first time by dirty sidewalks covered with chewing gum and soda stains, a parking lot littered with trash and debris, and windows covered with smudge marks and fingerprints it does not create a good first impression of your establishment. Consistently making a strong first impression is essential to gaining new customers and retaining them.

Managing your appearance is an important part of your business. It tells the world that your business cares about its customers. In the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of Image is described as “the character or reputation of a person or thing as generally perceived”. First impressions are made within the first six seconds when a new customer comes to your business. People tend to believe that their first thought about the business is right and it takes a strong incident to prove it otherwise for people to change their perception. What does your image say and how do your clients perceive your business?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so always make a good first impression. The process of first impression creation occurs in every new encounter. A positive first impression can make your business more credible. A good or great first impression can create a positive role in the minds of the new customers who come to your business. When they come back as a repeat customer they are often drawn back into this role. A bad impression can leave a bad image of your business and close all opportunities for a customer to return again. Keep up the image of your place of business and stack the odds in your favor. Don’t give customers a reason to think that you are not credible or capable.

Here are some services for improving first impressions.

–          Parking Lot Sweeping

• A well maintained parking lot is free of trash and debris, not only does this create a positive image to customers, it also helps maintain the life of the parking lot surface.

–          Pressure Washing

• Maintaining your sidewalks and entryways keeps your walkways looking like new, removing gum, dirt, drink spills and other miscellaneous stains away from the concrete surrounding your business. Pressure washing is also a great way to maintain parking areas to remove oils and other automotive fluids, which can reduce liability of slip and fall accidents in those areas.

–          Window Cleaning

• Windows allow customers to see inside your business before they decide to come in. Crystal clear windows let people see in as if the window is not even there; bringing potential customers attention inside before they even open the door. Dirty windows can distract that attention and change the customer’s perception in seconds and cause the customer to walk away.

Often, businesses hire companies to maintain their establishment but only call the maintenance companies out when they feel their property could use a cleaning. Unfortunately, at that point it is too late, and customers may have already been lost. Businesses can take advantage of discount pricing that many service companies offer for bundling services with regular maintenance plans. These maintenance packages allow the business owner to spend more time focusing on running their business and less time worrying about maintaining their property’s image. A lot of service companies increase their prices when they are called for service one time a year to clean the property. Those types of cleanings require more time and more work for the service provider.  Avoid high pricing by signing up for routine exterior maintenance plans and keep your property image clean all year long.

Like it or not, the business world demands making a great first impression and keeping it. Make sure your business image is clean and inviting.