I know it may not seem fair, but first impressions really do make a huge impression on a person.  I was thinking recently about the last social function that I attended where I met a lot of new people.  Who do you think I remember most from the evening?  There were two people that stood out.  The first person was a woman who appeared to be up on the latest fashion trends.  She had a sharp haircut and was dressed in very classy clothes.  She was personable and smiled a lot. The other person that I remember from the evening was this woman that showed up in tattered jeans and a t-shirt and she smelled like an ashtray.  She didn't seem like she wanted to be there and was difficult to talk to, so I quickly excused myself from the conversation.  I know it may not be right, but it is just our nature to immediately form an opinion of people when we first meet them, good or bad. 

What really struck me as strange, though, as I thought about it further is that I met a lot of people that evening, and I don't recall much about any of them.  Nothing really stuck out in my mind about anyone except the two people I mentioned above. 

It made me really think about "first impressions".  What do people think about me when they meet me for the first time?  Do I stand out in their mind in a positive way?  Would they remember me if they saw me again?  I really don't know.

In the business world, you can't take any chances with your first impressions.  You have to make that first impression a positive and memorable one.  It is the key that will open the door to success.  But how do you do this?  Following are some of the most important aspects of a first impression.

One of the first steps in making a great first impression is setting up an appointment with the customer and arriving earlier than the scheduled time.  By scheduling an appointment to meet with your potential customer, you are showing them that you know their time is valuable.  You aren't assuming that they can just drop everything and come to talk to you.  By arriving early for the appointment, you are letting them know that their business is important to you.  Showing up late for the first meeting is like telling the customer that you had more important things to do.

Appearance is another one of the more important aspects of a good first impression.  You need to be dressed appropriately for the meeting, show up with a smile and a positive attitude, and be attentive to the customer.  Being prepared by knowing a bit about the customer before meeting them is always a good idea so that you can answer questions appropriately as they arise.  You want them to remember you in a positive way, so avoid negative topics such as bad weather, traffic, etc.

One important aspect of a first impression that often gets overlooked is the business logo.  Many business owners don't consider this an important issue, but think about it.  Once you leave that first meeting with a potential customer, what is left behind?  Typically, a business card and possibly some literature about your company is left.   This is the only information that this customer has to contact you with.  If they somehow misplace your information that you gave them will they remember your company's name?  If you have a company logo that stands out at first site and makes a great impression on the customer, the customer will remember.  

That's why businesses should consider hiring a professional to design custom business logos.  Professional designers have experience in the field of advertising and can take the information about your company and form it into something that would be memorable to a customer.  Custom business logos that are designed correctly will be recalled very easily and will say something about the characteristics of a company.

Remember the saying, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression".  Take the time to prepare yourself and your custom business logos so that the first impression you and your business make on your customers is the most memorable one.