First impressions aren't important. They are VERY important.

Making an amazing first impression is critical. It is the basis by which all other judgments are made. Make a sour first impression and you've already stacked the cards against yourself. Do your business a favor and make the very best first impression for those you serve, your clients. Clean up your waiting room, dust your showroom, tidy up your parking lot, and, when traffic comes via the phone, make sure the telephone experience is a stellar one.

Oftentimes, the phone call to a business is the first point of contact. In this short experience, your organization will set the stage and paint the picture for your customer (or, at this stage, prospect.) It is, in many cases, the very first opportunity to make a first impression. What kind of picture will you paint when you place your new prospect on-hold? How does your staff answer the phone (more on this in a later post - see "phone etiquette")?

It's true that you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Remember the first time you met your in-laws? What kind of first impression to you give? Don't you wish you had a great on-hold system that day?!