Your Office Space Speaks 1,000 Words

First impressions can either take you a long way or stop you before you’ve even passed go. And when it comes to clients (both potential business associates and potential tenants), their first impression of you may very well involve your office. While it’s not necessary to spend a ton of money creating a luxurious office setting, it is important that everything is functional and presentable. Following are some low-maintenance tips that will help you and your office put a professional first foot forward.

1. Clear signage.
Your client’s first impression of your office may well begin before he even sets foot through your front door. Make sure that your office space is clearly marked from the exterior so that customers can easily identify it and start things off on the right note.

2. Showcase yourself.
Your office is a great place to do some self-promotion. Lining your walls with professional looking photographs of some of your most appealing properties and any awards or certificates you have sends great visual cues to potential clients.

3. Make space.
Even if your office is a small space that is occupied only by you, be sure that you have some sort of seating option for clients. This can be as simple as a single, comfortable chair on the opposite side of your desk. But it is important that there is a place—whether it be just a chair or a conference table—where your client can sit down and make herself comfortable.

4. Points for hospitality.
Putting potential clients at ease and making them as comfortable as possible can only benefit business negotiations. While you don’t have to offer a fully-stocked bar and appetizers, be sure that you do keep the basics on-hand. Have coffee, tea, and water available and up for offer when clients pay a visit to the office.

5. Organization is key.
No matter how nice your office is, too much visible clutter pretty much guarantees that you won’t start off with your best foot forward. Cluttered surroundings send out the impression that you are disorganized and perhaps over-worked (certainly not the impression you want to convey while attempting to obtain new business).

In an ideal world, we would all be organized all the time (and your business will certainly run more smoothly if you do remain as organized), however this is simply not always possible. So if it’s a chaotic day and you simply don’t have time to de-clutter before clients arrive, be sure that you do at least disguise your clutter. Providing each staff member with storage drawers, shelving, and file systems means that you will always have somewhere to stash the chaos away, even if it’s not exactly filed in the most detailed manner possible.

Clearly, it’s your properties and business experience that will really woo potential clients and tenants. But when it comes to obtaining new business, it’s always best to have all factors on your side. These simple tips will have potential clients impressed  from the moment they walk through your office door.