You Only Get One Chance to Make A First Impression

So this weekend we went to watch our granddaughter Myla play football at St Georges Park. What a place that is, the facilities for football are incredibly impressive.

But what is more impressive is the support the FA are giving to young female players. And although we were only watching the under 12s there were some great skills on the pitch.

Yes the FA have the funds to create this facility and support and so it was no surprise to see how amazing it is, but it made me think . . .

When people come to my business what do they find there? What are they looking for that I can provide when they arrive?

I want to make an impression that talks about my business as a place of safety, support and growth. Where you know immediately that what you get is top quality and designed specifically to be of value to you.

Do you want that too? If so, have a read of this . . .

You Only Get One Chance to Make A First Impression

I provide a service in my business and so this article is about helping other service providers to create a great first impression. If you are more of a product business the considerations differ however some of what I say here may be of use to you.

There are three things to consider about that first encounter with a new or prospective client to your business and they are as follows:

• Your shop front
• Your welcome
• Your value

Your Shop Front is you basically.

Now we all know that people buy from people they know, like and trust. Your 'shop front' is a major player in developing that. So let's strip this back into a bit of a time line from not known to known, liked and trusted:

Step 1 is to know who your ideal client is so that you can turn up where they are. This is about knowing your ideal client, understanding their problems and providing a service that can solve those problems. If you don't know who you serve them how do you find them?

Step 2 is to consider what they want to find that will attract them to you. What does your ideal client need to see when they first meet you that makes them think, 'hmmm, I'd like to know more' ?

For instance, if your ideal client is a tech leader in engineering, they might relate well to someone who looks and acts in a professional manner, talks like they do, 'speaks their language', and understands their world. In this case you need to be dressed smartly, have a professional background if your talking virtually, and have professional materials to send out on request that relate directly to their industry, issues and challenges.

If your ideal client is a victim of domestic abuse who wants to rebuild confidence and find safe support then your 'shop front would be different'. Maybe dress more casually, have a warm supportive background if talking virtually.

Step 3 design your welcome to meet your ideal clients expectations:

• Landing page
• Website
• Your presence when networking
• Your social media
• Your reputation

Does your online presence need to be smart professional or warm and supportive? What does your client expect to find? Go back to what you know about your ideal client and put yourself in their shoes.

In all cases make it easy for them to see testimonials, information and tools which will support them in the problems they are looking to solve.

On my website you will see straight away soft welcoming colours, a link to get more information and easy links to finding out more about how I can help you. My shop front is one that says, 'I'm here to support you in your business growth'.

One big thing I need to stress here is this; DO NOT SELL in your shop front. Display solutions, display your capabilities, display your connections, provide free tools and information. You are engaging with your ideal client, not selling to them ok!

Step 4 where is your ideal client?

You need to be seen where they are.

• Networking groups
• Events
• Training sessions
• FB/LI Groups
• Interviews
• Podcasts
• Videos

And when you are seen, remember Step 3, and display your value, your capability in solving your ideal clients problems. You are building know, like and trust and a reputation for being the person they want to connect with.

Step 5 book those one to ones with people you know you can help. Help them to overcome personal and professional challenges. Either with your service or connecting them elsewhere.

Now this is the touch point, the key moment when you come into contact with your prospective client. You my have met whilst networking, maybe they commented on your posts and you started a conversation, maybe you were in the same training room and identified common interests.

Whatever the circumstances of your coming together, now is the time to begin growing your relationship with one to one conversations.

Step 6 provide excellence in service, solve problems, support and nurture. Now share testimonials, tell stories about the challenges you overcome & the problems you have solved.

When you get to this stage it is vital to continue to support and nurture the relationship. They might not become a client but they can be an ambassador for your business, recommending you to others so keep that relationship going.

Your Welcome

We have covered a lot about your welcome in the steps above but there are two very important things you must remember when you are welcoming people into your world;

1. Be what they expect to find (you have to know what this is for your ideal client) &
2. Be a support, someone who helps, be interested as well as interesting.

and do not directly sell. If someone asks for your prices, events, services info then by all means provide the information, but the question you always ask in your welcome is simply: 'How can I help you?'

Your Value

So far we have spoken about how you can help the people you want to attract to your business in terms of what they expect to see and find when you connect.

For that to be really effective you must be very clear on your value. That is what you offer in terms of solving your ideal clients problem. It may be a coaching service, or a video production support service like my friend Gareth James at Clockwork Eye (look him up because he is brilliant in helping you to create that first impression in a very personal way). Whatever your service you hve to be very clear on what it is in 3 very distinct ways;

1. The problem/s you solve
2. How you solve it
3. Who you solve it for

Understand those and you can go back to step one in the timeline above and get cracking on creating your incredible First Impression.

If you would like support in creating your incredible first impression, specifically in terms of the written elements of your business: your calling card book, your online course and writing skills for articles and lead magnets, then please book a call with me here and let me know how I can help you.

#business #growth #quality #people