First Impressions
Posted by Becky Carroll on April 22nd, 2009
This past weekend, we decided to go wine tasting in a small area of Southern California called Temecula. It was our first time out there, and we were hoping to find some good local wineries that we could support. We started with two wineries, where we paid for our tastings as we came in the door and headed for the tasting counter. After experiencing mediocre wines with high prices, we decided to try a smaller winery.
How NOT to Reach Out to Prospects
This winery was slightly off the main thoroughfare at the end of a dusty road. The building looked quaint, and we were hopeful we would find something more down-to-earth (and reasonably priced). We walked around the building on the wooden porch and came to this sign: “START Your Tasting Adventure at The Register. Thank You!”
We almost turned around and left! We knew that we needed to pay for the tastings, but to have that sign as the first thing we saw was a little off-putting. How about “We are glad you are here; come on in!” Or “Start your tasting adventure through this door”. Hitting us over the head with a request for money was NOT welcoming.
Why would they use signage like this? Well, the winery also had a restaurant on the property, so perhaps they were trying to let foodies know they needed to go across the parking lot to eat. Or perhaps they have had prospective wine tasters skip the register and go straight to the tasting bar, only to have to send them back to the till to pay up. Either way, there are several other ways they could have handled this to leave a better first impression with visitors. (Ideas for improvement? Share them below in the comments.)
Welcoming Customers
Many businesses have started to understand that the customer welcome is important. We had a favorite sushi place where we used to live, and as we would come in the door, the sushi chefs would shout out a welcome to us in Japanese. This was fun, as we were regulars and they knew us. I am also a regular at my local bank, and the entire branch, it seems, shouts out a hello when a customer comes in the door. For some reason, this doesn’t feel as sincere; it feels like they are checking off a box on their list of “how to greet a customer.” Retail clothing stores such as Coldwater Creek and White House Black Market have someone near the door to welcome customers and help point them in the right direction (so does Walmart).
If at first you don’t succeed…
… you might not get a second chance. Customers ROCK! companies look closely at how prospects first see their business.
- For a retailer, the first impression might be as they walk by or in the door. Is the person there truly happy to see them? Or are they just checking off their tasks and biding their time until the lunch break?
- For an online business, the first impression is the website, which could also be a social media site or blog. Is it clear what a prospect should do first? Or does a first-timer have to slice through a jungle of words and pictures to make headway towards their task?
- For a commercial business, first impressions are often a rep making a sales call. Does the sales rep seem to understand the burning issues for their business? Or are they just interested in pushing their products and services?
(Although I like to be positive here on this blog, I just need to share a tiny rant about Twitter and first impressions. There is a feature where you can “follow”, or subscribe to someone, and they can decide whether to follow you back. Some people and businesses have set up an automatic reply to a new follower, and most times it is a sales message (try our mattresses, check out our store, please join my Facebook page, etc). I firmly believe this is the wrong approach! A new prospect/follower has not had the chance to get to know you yet; don’t try to go for the close. Allow a relationship to develop first. OK, end of rant. 
Take the Customer’s Perspective
If you aren’t sure what your organizations “first impression” looks like, go get a mirror and find out. It is hard to do this when you see the front door everyday, so many companies use someone new to their organization, or hire an outside “mystery shopper” to review the customer experience for them. Here are the areas to review:
- Your “front door”, whether it be a physical door/entry or a website. What does it say to visitors? What does it say to those who have been there before?
- Your “greeter” (usually a physical person, although some web sites have these).
- Your “action” – what do you want them to do next? Make it clear, and give guidance if needed.
Your Turn!
In addition to sharing ideas for the winery in the comments, please share either great or terrible “welcome” experiences with a business, B2B or B2C. I look forward to hearing what you have to say!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 6:20 am
As a consumer, I find another turn off in retail is the greeting that is as rote as the “Have-a-nice-day” goodbye. There’s a difference in being made to feel genuinely welcome compared with being acknowledged (although the latter is preferable to being ignored).
It’s easy for those retail employees who are personable to convey a warm greeting. But what do managers do with those who may not have the same social confidence?
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:33 am
We went to Glenfiddich in England last year. You talk about customer service. No charge for the tour … and their facility was spotless and the tour guides so knowlegdeable. No pressure to BUY anything. The shop and a cafe were at the end of the tour. Of course, we BOUGHT. Soft sell is always the best. This I learned from a father who sold high end office furniture. You are so happy to not be pressured, you buy with GUSTO.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:37 am
speaking of off-putting. your site looks like someone parked the domain and now it’s being filled up with random info and web ads. basically, your site is the web equivalent of that chalkboard — it’s not sending the right message to your potential customers. you could have the best business/marketing advice on on the west coast, but who’s doing to pay any attention when the sign at the front gate — or in this case the front page — does nothing to invite them in?
a little effort goes a long way.
May 9th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Sybil, thank you for your comment. The rote hello and goodbye are a little painful to watch. As much as possible, companies with customer-facing employees need to hire someone who can create the atmosphere that represents the company best – and who is personable!
Kathleen, thanks for sharing that story. When we lived in England, we had the opportunity to visit some of the distilleries in Scotland as well; what a great experience! I have always said that the sales person who gets to know you is the best sales person of all. If you seem to care about your customer and what they want, you can earn their trust and have a better chance at a sale.
Jeff, thank you for the feedback. I am in the process of updating my website, and as I spend so much time with my blog, I decided to put up some pages about my business here in the meantime (I never had any pages about my business and speaking here at all). Thank you again.
August 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Great post, and great point. Just for the record, what you are running into in the Sushi place is “Irashaimassen” (or Irashai for short), is a Japanese tradition. If you spend any time there you will see that most shops do it. Some of them do it in harmony, which is really cool. Greeting are a fine line though. There are some companies that train staff to welcome and ask everyone in 10 feet if they need help. This can be a real annoyance, every time you enter a new department. The question is, how do you translate that into the digital world. What is the techno based version of a welcome greeting?
October 9th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
first impresstions are of huge importance in my business! and i tell all my employees that too! lol
November 11th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Becky,
Thank you for the wise words. We are a Temecula winery and the customer experience is #1 for us. We believe we have quality wine here, but understand even the most impressive product can be unenjoyable if the experience is not what you hoped. We would love it if the next time you are out visiting the Temecula wineries, please stop by and tell us what you think. We appreciate any comments that can help us provide a more memorable experience for our customers. Cheers!
March 12th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
O vinho é uma bebida saudável, se consumido moderadamente. Na minha residência para muitos tipos de vinhos.