I was driving through Penrith last week and noticed a business van in front of me. What made me notice the van was that the phone number was without a ‘9’ at the beginning of it. Although a ‘minor’ thing, this immediately told me that it had been a very long time since this business vehicle had been upgraded.
More importantly, it told me that this business does not have attention to detail. The older vehicle would not be an issue (assuming that it functions well and looks presentable). But the fact that they had not bothered to invest in some new signage on their car gave me a negative first impression of their business. If they haven’t updated their signage, what else is out dated? If they are not concerned about how their business presents (that is, their image or branding) then do they really care about their customers?
Those questions are assumptions. But they are assumptions that I wouldn’t want anyone making about my business. No matter what industry or sector your business is in, first impressions count. Your business should exude professionalism and first rate customer service. And everything that your customers see or hear about your business should show them exactly that.
The van with the outdated phone number might be an amazing business. But personally, there is no chance of me becoming a customer of theirs based on my first impression. It is always worth regularly checking over your branding – or better still, getting someone objective to look at your business with fresh eyes. And if you need some sprucing up, make sure you get it done quicker than the van without the number nine!
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender