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	Making A Great Second Impression

	by Michael Gifford

We've all heard how important it is to make a tremendous first impression. As the saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." I'll not argue with that. What I will contend, however, is that making a good SECOND impression and then a third and fourth and so on is at least as vital.

A BAD SITUATION

Picture yourself in your living room talking with Joe from Joe's Landscaping Service. You want your yard beautified and you feel that Joe might be just the one to do it. You agree to give the job to Joe. He made a POWERFUL first impression. You both agree that he will start the work in three days. Three days pass and Joe is nowhere to be found. You call, you page, you leave messages and still no Joe. Three more days pass and Joe calls to apologize for not showing up but promises that he'll be there first thing in the morning. Two days later you are again calling and paging Joe because he has yet to turn one spade of earth on your property. After two more weeks of trying to get Joe to start the job (you're a very patient person!), you go on to ANOTHER landscaper.

THE QUICKEST WAY TO RUIN A REPUTATION

Maybe that scenario has never played itself out in your life. (Maybe I'm still bitter about the 3 times it happened to me a couple of years ago.) I think, though, that most of us have experienced something like this. What looked so promising and wonderful at the outset turned into a nightmare in subsequent dealings with the person or company. Consequently, we will make certain that we never RECOMMEND that person to any of our friends and if anyone brings up their name in conversation, we will be quick to WARN them to not get involved.

BEYOND THE FIRST APPOINTMENT

Making that great first impression is wonderful, but never forget how vital it is to continue to provide the SERVICE that your new client figured they would get from you when the two of you agreed to do business together. The best way to make a great second impression is to FOLLOW UP immediately with a thank you card or phone call or even personal visit to your new client. That is so rarely done nowadays that that one action will probably get you more referral business than you'll know how to handle.

RELIABILITY IS KEY

Another facet of making that great second impression is to be sure that you keep the PROMISES you made in that first meeting. Do you remember a television commercial from a few years ago in which a family purchased some major appliances? As soon as the delivery people had closed the door to their house, the husband thought of a question he needed to ask. He opened the door and all he saw was a desert, a barren wasteland. The point was that while many companies make a sale and then DISAPPEAR, this particular company that paid for the commercial would be there whenever you needed them. You can promise the moon up front to a client just to get their money, but you'll have a short-lived business and a lot of legal headaches if you don't make your promises realistic and then keep every one of them.

KNOW YOUR CLIENT

Finally, to make a lasting impression on your clients, be sure that you keep a detailed RECORD of each of them. You can purchase an organizer or you can purchase contact management software. You might already have it on your computer. I use Microsoft Outlook, which I bought as part of Microsoft Office, and it helps me track birthdays, anniversaries, hobbies, and any other pertinent matters regarding clients. I've also used Claris Organizer. The purpose for keeping this information on file is not just to help you remind a client when their next service from you is due or just to remind you to keep IN TOUCH. Why not make a practice of dropping a birthday card or card of congratulations when the situation presents itself? This "extra mile" service will be way beyond what they expected and it will build a powerful business for you.

Michael Gifford is a home-based business advocate. He and his wife, Shannon have over 30 years combined experience in operating successful home-based businesses. Visit his website at www.nobizlikehomebiz.com. You may contact him at .

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