First impressions are everything when it comes to doing business. While it's possible to come back from a negative first meeting, it's hard to make a client's skepticism or suspicions go away without a lot of work. So make sure you set the stage for first meetings well.
Here are three things your receptionist's desk could be telling people whether you want it to or not:
1. How modern your company is
Different materials imply different things about your company's modernity. Heavy, solid wood furnishing can imply old-fashioned, but they also imply reliability. Heavy but faux-wood desks with cherry veneer doesn't make nearly as good an impression. Metal and fiberglass imply that your company is contemporary and has a good grasp of technology. Use these split-second judgments to carry the most important characteristics of your business.
2. How busy your company is
If the receptionist's desk is covered in stacks of paper, then the receptionist looks busy. That isn't a good thing, much in the same way busyness isn't equivalent to productiveness. So look for a desk that can be easily organized and managed, with lots of storage space. Also look for a desk that has a high barrier in front: no one should be able to see what your receptionist is working on, anyway. That can be a major security liability.
3. How the budget is being managed
An expensive desk won't impress investors or prospective employees. In fact, if the rest of the company's furnishings and profits don't measure up to the first impression of a rich-looking desk, they're going to be suspicious about the company's money management. So make sure the receptionist's desk is in a price range that suits the company's real profits.
If you don't know what desk will be the perfect fit until you see it, browse our selection at Worthington Direct.
