NEVER FORGET THIS:
The first thing people see is what they think they will continue to get
I started my first company on a credit card with a whopping 500 limit. It was very little to start a building repair and remodeling company. I did have a vehicle, skills and the right tools, but that was about it. Feeling confident in my abilities I went to work.
To drum up business I decided to go to all the real estate rental companies and a few businesses I frequented to see if they could use my services.
I made a few cheap cards, some flyers, put on my nicest cloths and went to work. Nearly everywhere I went I was told to wait in the lobby until someone got to me. No one ever got out of their seat, shook my hand or showed much interest in what I had to offer.
Feeling defeated I struggled with different ideas and attempts to find business over the next few months. A friend of mine told me about the quote noted in the beginning of this article and the importance of making a good first impression. His parting words that day were, Do Not Be Cheap On First Impressions
After much thought, I decided to take my 500 credit card and buy a professional matching khaki uniform with my company logo on a hat and shirt, and my name embroidered above the left shirt pocket. I paid a design company to make some cards and flyers and put them in my nice leather portfolio.
The next time I went into these offices I rarely was told to wait, and nearly everyone got up to shake my hand.
I landed a number of jobs the first few days and owe it all to the 500 dollars I spent on that uniform. One of the agents told me she thought I was one of the larger franchised companies and not just one of the many, in her words, “fly-by-night, here one day gone the next, kind of guys”.
It was the best 500 dollars I have ever spent on any of my business dealings. I have since sold that company and started a few others, but ever since that day I have lived by the motto “The first thing people see is what they think they will continue to get”.
Do Not Be Cheap On First Impressions – Conclusion
Now whether it be 500 or 5000 you must be willing to spend whatever it takes to make your company look credible and professional right from the get go, or they will most likely go somewhere else.