In his book, Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that people make up their minds about the people they meet almost instantaneously – within two seconds. Our initial impressions are processed incredibly quickly and rely on the smallest amount of experience. Those snap judgments are very important for businesses that interact with customers face to face – or by phone. Have you noticed the differences in attitude when you approach businesses? I certainly do when visiting our customers and prospects. The quality of approach of front line staff varies markedly (and probably should be of concern for some of those businesses!) First the good – most of the people I meet in our local small businesses have all the right attributes:
- Warm, natural smile
- Good eye contact
- Friendly, enthusiastic tone
- Genuine interest and attention
They generate immediate rapport – which is where all good customer experiences start. When you smile at someone, the natural response is to smile back, which releases a flood of those feel good endorphins. As Max Eastman said: A smile is the universal welcome. Then there are the exceptions – the people who are too busy to look up from their computer screen, the disinterested attitude, the unwillingness to assist with anything that isn’t their direct responsibility. What sort of greeting can your customers expect when they visit or call? Have you discussed this with your front line staff? Have you used a mystery shopper to assess performance? Is this a performance area that you regularly supervise and review? First impressions can be crucial in deciding whether or not you have a chance of making the first sale – or any sales after that. Very simple – and very powerful.
