You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. This saying, while not absolute, is true in most cases. In business, first impressions really do matter. Studies say it takes a mere three seconds for someone to register a negative impression and make a decision. In another word, your business meeting could come to an end in a blink of an eye. Why is this so? It is because upon meeting someone, humans are unconsciously trained to look for nonverbal cues, such as body language or tidiness, to be able to determine the quality of the person they are meeting. When an unfavorable judgment has been made, your prospective client or employee could walk away without making any engagement.
In an office setting, where business meetings often take place, how can we optimize this first three seconds? The answer lies in your reception area. Imagine if your office were a real person your client is about to meet. The reception area can be considered as the physical manifestation of said person because it is the first thing your guests will see. Within the first three seconds of arriving, they will unconsciously assess strictly this part of your business. They will take one look at it and decide right then and there whether they want to do business with you, regardless of your actual competency.
While the consequences certainly look grim, the process of designing a proper reception area needn’t be complicated or strenuous. One of the most frequently recommended things to do by experts when decorating the office lobby is to spruce up the space with fresh flowers. Here are three reasons why having flowers in the reception area can benefit your business.
3 Reasons How Flowers Benefit Your Business
Communicating Your Company’s Business Behavior to Clients
Do you know why the office lobby holds the most impact out of all rooms in a workspace? Because that is the place where guests and prospective clients or employees will spend the most time in, alone. While the conference room is where you will be having all the important meetings in, the room will not be the focus once the clients step their foot in. In turn, they will focus on you and the meeting itself. However, since typically an individual might find themselves waiting with their own thoughts to accompany them in the reception area for a span of a couple minutes to an hour, their primary focus will inadvertently fall to the room itself.
Placing big, bold flowers in the office reception can show people that you care enough about the visitors’ experience, which will only leave them with a good impression regarding your business. Flowers will also provide a refreshing contrast to the monotonous business environment, and several studies have shown that companies that decorate their lobby with an arrangement are seen as more capable of handling business matters, especially those that require attention to details.
Another advantage of a flower decoration is that it tends to put people in a better mood, as concluded by the researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Needless to say, people who are in a good mood may acquire a better impression and so become more inclined to collaborate with your business.
Increasing Employees’ Happiness and Productivity
The reception area is not there just to entertain the visitors but also your current employees. Research says a person will feel happier and more energetic when they look at flowers in the morning. Additionally, science has proven that flowers have the ability to reduce negativity, depression, and anxiety while improving the cognitive function at the same time. In an office environment, these benefits can translate to a more innovative thinking and a better problem-solving capabilities. In the end, it is you—the company—who will profit from your employees’ increased happiness level.
A lot of entrepreneurs today is also struggling with recruiting and retaining talent in their company even though they feel like they have a good business model. You could be offering various benefits, packages, and accommodations to your employees, yet still, they choose your competitors over you.
In a competitive world like today, sometimes subtlety is the key. A cluttered and messy office can give off an ominous, dark aura that may prevent a new talent from committing fully to your company. Imagine walking into such office every day compared to one that has a fresh, welcoming atmosphere and decorated with flowers. People also consider the office’s environment when they apply for work, and most tend to choose a more comfortable workspace over an attractive employee package.
Providing a Sustainable Design with Low Budget
If you are on a low budget yet still wish to have an incredible office design, focus your effort on the areas that receive the most foot traffic: the office lobby and the employee workstations. As a general rule of thumb, sustainability wins over trends. Trends tend to turn quickly, yet a classic design will last forever. However, a flower arrangement defies this rule due to its versatility.
Compared to other office appliances, flowers cost next to nothing. Sustainability is also not a problem as a floral arrangement can last for approximately one week when kept indoors and fed with water. Moreover, you can adjust the arrangement to fit whatever office design you have in mind, starting from classic to contemporary to minimalism. Roses Only has plenty of inspiration, including tips on how to take time out of the office and spoilt yourself.
First impressions begin in the office reception. It is also where the employee’s day begins. As a leader, it is your job to make sure this area to appear effortless yet meaningful, proud yet welcoming, and inspiring yet relatable. A vase of floral arrangement may be the subtle difference you need to infuse a positive atmosphere to the business environment and make your employees excited to come to work every day. You will get all of these benefits without pulling an exorbitant amount of money out of your pocket, so what are you waiting for? Choose the flowers that will convey your personality as a brand and bring your office into life!
