Your office isn’t just a place for you and your employees to work. It’s an extension of your brand. And at no point will that be clearer than when you have visitors swinging by to talk business.
At that point, your office and how you and your team function will play a pivotal role in the ultimate outcome of the meeting. Get it right, and you might end up with more funding, a business partner, or a growth opportunity. Get it wrong, and you’ll remain stuck where you are.
Of course, there are no guarantees that any meeting will prove fruitful. The best you can do is put yourself in the best possible position for success. In this post, we’ll run through a few tips that can help you to impress your visitors.
Clear Communication
You’ll have been to your office a thousand times. You’ll know exactly where to park, how to locate the front door and other key information. It’ll be second nature. Your visitors? They’ll likely be visiting for the very first time, and simply won’t have that information.
In the lead up to their arrival, make sure they have all the details they need, such as where they can park, the nearest public transport, and, if the location of your office is in any way hard to reach, clear instructions on how they can get there.
Really want to impress your visitors? Send a car to pick them up.
Put Together a Waiting Area
It’s probable that your visitors will arrive at your office a little earlier than your meeting time. So it’s important to check that they have somewhere to wait, just in case you’re not fully ready to greet them. What will you do if they arrive at 9:30 for a 10:00 meeting?
Ensuring your reception area is comfortable, clean, and tidy will prevent any awkward moments, such as having to stand around until you can meet them. If your guest needs to sign in, then have your receptionist guide them through the process.
Inform Your Team
If you’ve hired correctly, then your team of employees is probably always well-behaved and working well anyway. Still, it can’t hurt to inform them that a special visitor will be stopping by, just so that they’re especially aware that they should be on their best behavior. Remember that, when someone is visiting your business, your employees are more than just workers — they’re ambassadors for your brand.
Food and Refreshments
It’s a good idea to provide food and drinks to your visitors for a couple of reasons. First, people can get grouchy when they’re hungry, and you want your visitors to be in a good mood. Second, it shows that you’ve not only thought about their needs but anticipated them. To make the best impression, look at hiring a lunch catering company; they’ll not only provide food, but delicious food. Everyone’s happier when they’ve had an outstanding meal!
Have Everything Ready
Planning a big presentation? The morning of their arrival is not the time to ensure that you have all the equipment you need. You’ll feel more confident by checking that everything is working — in fact, triple-checking — in the days leading up to the big day.
Work in a big office, and need to use the meeting room? Make sure no one else has booked it for the same time as you have. It can also be worth booking it for a little longer than you think you’ll need it, just in case the meeting goes on longer than planned.
Ongoing Engagement
Finally, be mindful to give your visitor your undivided attention for the duration of their visit. You might have other things to do after they’ve left, but whatever those things are should only enter your mind once they’re out of the door. If the visit goes on longer than anticipated, then simply let it run its course — no one wants to feel that they’re being pushed out of the door.
Conclusion
You’d like to think that the strength of your presentation or meeting would be the only factor that influenced the outcome of a visiting guest, but that’s not the case. Everything around the meeting/presentation has an influence too. Your guest is less likely to be impressed — and thus less likely to work with you — if they notice that your office is dirty, or if their visit is a little chaotic. By taking our tips above, you can ensure that your visitor experience adds to their day, not subtracts from it.
