Have you ever visited the offices of another business and been impressed? Likewise, has your opinion about a supplier or customer gone down because you discovered their head office was a little shabby and disorganized?
In the era of hybrid working, our workplaces still have an important role to play in impressing partners, customers and potential customers. We don’t just need to think about how we attract our employees to the office but how we can put on a good show when others visit us.
It’s time to put your workplace back in the public spotlight.
Some things haven’t changed
It’s true that people everywhere are now spending more time working away from the traditional office. However, as the fears around Covid gradually subside, workplace visits will inevitably rise again. Face-to-face discussions and collaboration still have an important role to play in business and having somewhere to host these meetings, that is professional, slick and fit for purpose, will always be an advantage.
You can also use your office for events, inviting clients along to hear from industry experts. That means broadening your office away from day-to-day business, and becoming a place of learning and knowledge sharing. If your workplace has a real culture of innovation then that will be attractive to new and existing customers alike.
First impressions do matter
You’ve probably read that human beings are very quick to make their mind up about something, particularly each other and within seconds of meeting. This is also true for offices and you should be looking to make a statement from the moment they step across the threshold.
That means a clean, spacious waiting area. Meeting rooms booked in advance so that they won’t be waiting for long. Tea, coffee, water and other snacks: can you offer them to your guests? Get things right from the start.
Creating atmosphere
Hybrid working can sometimes mean that offices lack atmosphere. If your guests walk through a room full of empty desks it can provide the impression of lethargy or, even worse, impending failure. As fewer employees are at their desks this can mean it’s harder to capture the enthusiasm and energy within a business that can appeal to clients.
Of course, you can give them a tour that avoids these dead zones but it’s smarter to think carefully about how you generate atmosphere through open collaborative areas in the office where conversation is free-flowing and positivity permeates. A busy office feels like a productive office.
Conveying the sense of a creative and open culture will attract prospective clients. But that doesn’t mean packing every area of your office full of people. You can counterbalance this with relaxed and mindful spaces where employees have room to think.
Making things easy for them
With desk space freed up from hybrid working, you could create a permanent working space for existing clients for when they want to spend a day in your office. Forming close relationships by working in proximity can help build trust and grow business. If both parties feel part of a single team, then your profits can only benefit.
Make sure your guests have everything they need to work from these spaces including good wi-fi, screens and general office stationery. You want them to feel like this is a place they can happily visit, even if they have no meetings.
Part of the bigger picture
The good news is that what’s beneficial for your employees is also positive for prospective clients. An office that feels full of energy and productivity, with spaces that make sense and engender comfort, will attract everyone to your workspace. And it can be a virtuous circle with more visitors attracting more employees to your workplace and your business growing as a result.
Start planning now to impress guests by making changes to the place where you work.
