The Importance of First Impressions

I recently had a phone call from someone who was asking me to do some work for them, and it reminded me how absolutely vital it is to make a good first impression. That phrase in itself is probably something we're all aware of, but I think we don't give it enough credence.

The person was driving, which was the first red flag. It said in big bold letters "This person doesn't think a web project is important enough to call me when he has time to sit down and think about it". Aside from the difficulty in understanding what he was saying because of the background noise, it revealed his approach to the project in general. You don't make serious phone calls when you're busy doing something else.

The second thing that put me off was that the only thing he was interested in was how much it was going to cost, but didn't provide any details required to reach that figure. He asked me how much it would be to make a website, which I often liken to "how long is a piece of string?" as there are so many variables that go in to a decent project.

When it comes to running a business, first impressions play a big role in who you take on as clients. One of the most important lessons I've learned in the last couple of years is to make sure that I take on good clients (not all the clients), and that list of criteria includes people who take my time and my work seriously. This particularly applies to people like me who provide a service rather than selling goods, but if you want your business to flourish, to be fulfilling, and to provide the kind of lifestyle that makes you happy, you need to choose who you work with. You need to be a good judge of character, and that first impression a new client gives you will be really helpful in choosing who you want to work with.