In the blink of an eye...

"All great guest experiences begin with a great first impression. First impressions matter, especially for luxury business where the customer expectations are high."  -bhl

First impressions happen on several levels...you (how you look and act), your facility (whether home or retail space) and your digital presence. 

Let's talk about YOUR FACILITY

This is our fourth studio location, and each time, we have been able to do more to make it more impressive. However, if you are just starting out, there are many things you can do to make your space beautiful that won’t cost a great amount.

Our goal...to look successful, even before we were!

     -Painting your facility in beautiful colors that match your brand is one of the most cost-effective things you can do. The color of your walls will set the tone for your clients and their expectations. If you have trouble knowing what colors to use, check with your local paint store to ask their advice as to the popular colors used in today’s exclusive, high end homes.  

     -Beautiful lighting can now be purchased at home improvement stores, and clubs like Sam’s Club has items such as area carpets to spruce up your gallery area. 

     -Get rid of clutter! Take small prints and small frames out of your front gallery. Remember "show and sell?" If you have small products to sell, think like a merchandiser and set up a beautiful display in a separate part of the studio so that they won’t compete with your front gallery where you should show off large wall portraits in beautiful frames.

     -Designate certain rooms as “client” areas and keep the doors closed and locked on “employee” areas, which don’t have to look as nice. We practice this principal every day as we feel the client’s experience can be controlled more completely if each space is controlled. We lock our work areas with touch locks that are quick and easy to operate.

     -Offer refreshments. We installed a self-serve coffee/tea center when we realized that our clients felt we were going to too much trouble when offered a refreshment. They can access it themselves, making themselves an individual cup of coffee with our Keurig coffee maker. During Christmas and into the winter, we add Apple Cider, Hot Chocolate and Chai Tea to the Keurig pod mix. We also have a clear glass beverage refrigerator that we fill with cold drinks and bottled water.

     -We have a snack tray, filled to the brim with a variety of things to treat our clients. I make sure to have a few gluten-free items too.

    -Cute napkins are part of the experience at Walden's. I found this company that will print "fun personal facts" on cocktail napkins that you  can add to your refreshment area. *You may have to add a fake "wedding date" since this is a wedding supply company, but it worked for me and I LOVE our napkins! You may want to simply put your logo on it. Either way, it makes a wonderful impression.

     -Chocolate of some sort is always around. My motto is that everything is better with chocolate! I keep a small dish of Kisses on a table in the front gallery and am constantly surprised by how many people eat them (and drink a Diet Coke) lol.

So you see, with just a few items and minor upgrades, you can make a grand impression without breaking the bank! 

Go through your studio this week, whether it is in your home or a retail location, and make an honest assessment of the appearance and changes you would like to see made. 

Once that is decided, go through your list and label everything A, B and C to indicate the order of importance for change and then start with the As on your list and work through to C as time and money allows. 

I leave  you with this thought, "The sky is not the limit. The limit is your vision."