When a potential client is sitting in a cold office lobby waiting for an appointment, they don’t have a chance to adequately warm to your services. In contrast, an inviting yet classic and clean office space draws potential clients in and makes them instinctively trust you.
A barren space makes new clients feel uncomfortable, as if your business is missing something. A cluttered space can make you look unorganized and sloppy. The small details can be hard to get right, but in taking the time to scrutinize, you make yourself and your company more attractive to new and current clients.
Amplify Your Professional Status
In the Journal of Dispute Resolution, Fred I. Williams writes that the office is an indicator and amplifier of professional status. The space should make clients feel like they are in a professional arena, distinct from the regular world. To get started on your decorating journey, think about your practice and the mood that you want to reflect to clients. If you like traditional ideals, decorate with dark woods and rich colors. If you prefer a more fun image, pick contemporary styles, light woods and splashes of color.
Nature and Light
Although you may be used to glaring lights, the clutter of paperwork and the surrounding typing noises of your office, your clients aren’t accustomed to this environment. You need to create an aesthetically pleasing office space environment for them, too. This will simultaneously relax the client while giving them confidence about your abilities.
Natural light is essential, and whether it is streaming in from windows or skylights, it should hit natural materials like wood walls and shelves as well as natural colors. In the evening or when natural light is not available, look for the gentle illumination of stylish overhead lighting like chandeliers to offer a grandiose feel. Combine this overhead lighting with small table lamps to create pools of light. To increase the natural effect, use plants or other natural elements like rocks or water features in your decorating scheme.
Small Spaces
The average amount of space of most offices has decreased by 21 percent since the mid-90s, according to the Wall Street Journal, and if you are decorating a small space, you may not have room for the classic mahogany desks, thick bookcases or other iconic symbols of traditional law offices. If space is limited, consider swapping out bulky furnishings with desks and tables featuring lean legs, modern lines and Scandinavian stylings. Add in some color to keep it from appearing too drab, but only on accent walls in parts of the building where you really want to bring attention.
Simple Touches Added to your office space
Even if your budget isn’t large enough to add private client rooms and catering services to your office space, you can still impress new clients with simple touches. Business professionals should create a welcoming environment with fresh flowers in the reception area, free snacks and hot coffee. Don’t just settle for the warehouse stuff either. Putting in a Keurig with different coffee options and some healthy snacks like dark chocolate-covered fruit will raise the bar, and the compliments. If possible, give your clients some space to use the phone, relax or store their luggage if they are from out of town.