Appearance - Does it really matter?
You know the old adage: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
And yet, try as we might, to quash our own prejudices, it’s hard not to make judgements.
Deep down you don’t want to be “shallow” and pass opinion on people based on their appearance.
But we still all do it
Sometimes, we are pleasantly surprised – when the opinion we have formed proves unfounded.
And then we revise that opinion.
But often, that opinion is reinforced
And then it is an uphill battle to overturn that judgement.
Let’s take the person you meet who looks dirty, unkempt, scruffy, mismatched. You know what we mean. It’s easy for us to come to the conclusion that this person doesn’t care, isn’t professional, is not a detail person, is not invested in their own job or business.
The same is true of a dirty shop, with bad displays, poor lighting, no pricing, bad odours…
Would you really want to shop there?
But the same is also true in every aspect of your business…
It’s not just about how you dress when you meet clients. It is about…
Your team – do they all keep up the standards you expect?
Telephone calls – is the phone answered in a polite way that indicates professionalism?
Website – is your website reflective of your business as it is today? Does it look modern, fresh, inviting? Is it still accurate?
Your premises – are they clean and inviting? Remember, people talk. Make sure anyone who visits your building would want to be there – customers, suppliers, staff – everyone. And don’t neglect areas you can’t readily see like the toilets.
Your communication – do letters and emails go out with errors on them? Do you fail to return calls, or respond in a timely manner?
Your marketing – is it still relevant to your business? Is it up do date, and in keeping with your branding?
When you get any of this wrong prospects and customers start to make judgements. They question whether you are the right company or person for them. They wonder if you are behaving this way now, how will they be looked after when the sale has gone through.
People do make snap judgements. And you might not have the luxury of time or opportunity to prove them wrong.
So, don’t let people judge the appearance of you and your business, and be disappointed.
When we are asked to help companies improve customer retention we look at all of the above and more. It all adds to the customer experience - good or bad.
