As you probably already know, a reception area is a space in your company where you greet your guests and partners and offer them a comfortable waiting room to wait for their meeting. It’s the space where they already form an opinion about your business.
It’s commonly known that you only make a great first impression once. What people tend to overlook is that your whole business may depend on it. That’s why creating an impressive reception area is a must.
Even though the future of your business may depend on it, don’t worry. There are a few easy tricks to make your reception area impressive to anyone who enters your premises.
1. Space
The truth is, many small businesses don’t have an airy budget for creating a large, spacious reception area, but that doesn’t mean that small spaces can’t be impressive. You don’t have to be an interior designer to create an inviting space.
Start by removing the clutter and oversized furniture and replace them with sleek chairs and simple tables. That’s how you’ll ensure that your guests and clients have a comfortable area where they can wait after they check-in. Another great way to improve the impression of your reception area is by changing the colours of the walls.
By experimenting with colours, you create different atmospheres. For example, if you want to create an inviting and cheerful environment, opt for warm colours such as pastel yellow, orange or light red. If your goal is to create a serious mood, white, grey or beige colours are a perfect choice.
2. Lighting
Nobody would like to sit “in the dark”, figuratively and literally. That’s why your reception area has to be well lit. However, you need to choose the adequate lighting and the perfect amount of light for this space.
Darker places tend to cause more anxiety and tiredness, while too bright areas can make people feel dizzy and unfocused. A similar thing can happen when it comes to the colour of the lighting. White lights may create a sterile, hospital-like atmosphere, whereas the atmosphere with the warm lights can appear too relaxed and homey.
Lights affect your mood and behaviour too. That’s why you need to be careful when choosing the right lights for the reception area. For you, the best solution may be natural light. If that isn’t possible, consider getting LED panels and lightbulbs. Led lights save the energy and money, plus they seem appealing to the eye.
3. Reception staff are crucial
Can’t my guests and visitors just walk in the reception room and wait there by themselves? They can if you want to make a lousy first impression. The person who sits at the reception table is the face of your company. They are probably the first employee your guests and partners encounter when they enter your premises, so having someone to represent your business in the right manner is necessary.
The receptionist plays a great role in the impression making process. The way he or she looks, talks and acts will affect the way your guests and partners think of your business. However, the way your receptionist should look and talk depends on the type of business you run.
For example, a buttoned-up, stuck up receptionist at the store where they sell sports equipment isn’t an ideal match. For this kind of store, a young, physically fit individual who wears merch and is uses a friendly tone to talk to the customers is a perfect choice. So, the way your receptionist looks and talks should depend on what kind of impression you want to make.
4. Refreshments
After a hot or cold commute, having a refreshing or warming drink will certainly bring smiles to your clients’ and visitors’ faces. No matter the season, having a cold or a warm drink can completely improve your client’s or guest’s mood. That’s why you should consider offering them a drink while they wait for the meeting to start.
By offering your visitors a cup of tea or coffee, you’re showing them how much you care about their well-being. Additionally, you’re improving your company’s reputation. Depending on the formality of your company, you can have a special server or you can create a coffee corner where the guests can pour the refreshment by themselves.
Besides drinks, you can offer small snacks, such as candy or cereal bars. That will keep them busy until the meeting starts. Make sure that snacks are evenly distributed across the reception room so your guests can relax and wait comfortably.
5. Décor
One of the essential parts of any room is décor. Empty, blank walls look sad and sterile giving off the wrong message, especially if your company needs to attract more customers and clients. That’s why having decoration in the reception room is an absolute must.
You can always opt for green plants and potted flowers. Greenery is always great for freshening the space up. In order to make your plants live a longer and healthier life, you need to know how to take care of the indoor plants. In addition to that, you can decorate the walls with landscape paintings.
When considering the type of décor, make sure that it matches the ambient. Match the pots with the colours in the room. Be careful not to overdo with decoration. Crammed paintings and a lot of plants visually minimise the space and generally seem untidy.
6. The entrance
Magic happens at the entrance of your company. It’s where you begin your days and end shifts of hard work. It’s also a place where your partners and guests enter your premises. So, if you want to represent your brand well, make sure that the entrance and the reception room are always clean.
Nobody likes to see muddy floors and dirty carpets. It ruins the good reputation. However, you can’t clean the floors every time someone comes from the outside. Instead of frustrating over things like that, consider getting indoor and outdoor mats.
Being welcomed by a high-quality durable mat adds to the amazing first impression. You can create custom mats at places like Mat Shop, and have them printed with the logo of your company. You can also pick an adequate mat size for the company’s door. They are ideal for keeping the place clean, plus they look ideal with any type of the style and décor of your reception room.
7. Media
We have to agree that waiting for the meeting to start isn’t exactly our idea of fun. Your guests may arrive earlier or the meeting can get delayed because something urgent came up. it can be frustrating to wait in an uninteresting reception area with nothing to do. That’s why you have to provide entertaining or informative content for your guests.
If you want to make the impression that you’re a well-informed company, a TV with 24-hour news is ideal to keep your clients up to date. Similarly, magazines and newspaper are a great source of information and entertainment to pass some time. If you don’t like piling up old magazines or you find TV news too dull and pompous, you can play music. Playing soft music in the background is a great way to distract your clients from the time they have to spend waiting.
Don’t forget to leave out some business cards, or freebies such as notepads and pens, with your company’s logo and name, for your clients. It’s a great way to say thank you for visiting, plus they will never forget your company’s act of kindness.
Conclusion
As you can see, creating an impressive reception area doesn’t have to be hard and expensive. Little things and details, such as the colour of the walls, special mats on the floor, or refreshments, can form an amazing impression about your company.
If your clients and guests are important to you, making them feel comfortable on your premises is necessary. So, keep in mind every little detail about your reception area and always try to represent your business as best as possible through it.
