Once you have developed a good business, paid everything off and start making some serious money you will be expected to show your level of success and commitment and impress the clients. The higher up you go the more people expect of you. If your clients are seated on some cheap bench seating in the lobby and greeted by a receptionist behind a rickety old reception desk, they will hardly be impressed and they will lose faith in your company. Dropping the ball on client satisfaction is the fastest way to lose them to your competition.
Another reason for quality office furniture is just plain and simple – comfort. Company executives need a more elaborate environment that serves a dual purpose of impressing the client and making him comfortable. The show of power with some excess will motivate the employees to work hard to try and reach higher levels within the company, and make the executives feel satisfied.
Keeping the good workers happy is important if you don’t want them to switch teams. All these reasons make it very important for you to provide an elegant and comfortable office.
Lobby Design
A lot of companies make the mistake of not having a clearly determined lobby area. People can simply stroll in and wonder around the office in some cases, while others make the mistake of having a very small lobby area that feels more like supermarket queue than a company reception area. It is important to have:
- A well-defined lobby area with enough open space
- Simple and elegant reception desk with polite staff
- Sufficient seating
- Attractive and comfortable chairs
- An elegant table with some additional storage portions
- Something to read or a TV screen playing a music channel
- A colorful carpet
You can buy prearranged furniture sets for this area or you can spend some time to mix and match, that way you can get exactly what you want out of the furniture. Presentation is very important here, so you need to know how you want your company to come across. A web design company will want to come across as upbeat, high-tech and fresh.
A company that has been around for decades will want to present itself as traditional, show its age which is associated with wisdom and success in business ventures over a long time. A law firm will need to be viewed as serious and prestigious if it wants to attract clients. Judging by these standards you will need to choose a look for your company.
Furnishing your Executive Area
The waiting room in your executive area, even if it is only a few seats and a small office table in front of a manager’s office needs to be equipped with modern design, unconventionality and comfort in mind. The offices of the higher-ups are places of luxury and relaxation. You want to show the clients some physical representations of your company’s power and success make them comfortable and even slightly envious. Once you make them put their guard down you will be able to strike and secure a better deal.
Leather and exotic wood is a classic executive look. It is best to keep everything simple and to stick with what works. If you have a good interior designer you might want to opt to something bolder. Something modern and unusual represents a break from tradition and it takes a brave person to attempt to keep up with modern fashion senses. If you can pull of a good modern look it will get you a lot of points with potential clients and associates, but if you want to keep it safe you can go for an aristocratic subdued elegance.
You will also need to take into consideration some cabinets for drinks, different chairs for client and the executive, some plants and additional décor. The chairs for visitors can be medium back, with some lower end leather and lower to the ground, while the leather executive chair behind your desk can be made from higher quality materials, have a high back and be set higher – to establish a perceived dominance. Never underestimate the psychological effect in business.
Conclusion
When it comes to getting clients hooked and keeping them happy it is all about appearances. And when it comes to impressing people there is no easier and surefire way than establishing an awe-inspiring, luxurious and relaxing environment.
Choosing elegant office furniture and spending some time and money on interior design will make your company stand out among the crowd.
First impressions are really important, so when people leave your office with a smile on their face they are sure to come back as well as provide you with some free advertising. Word of mouth is the best advertisement for a company.
This article is written by Ivan Dimitrijevic, who writes about modern & elegant office furniture and stylish and cool-looking computer desks.
