Do First Impressions Really Matter?

Does your company focus more on the first impression you make or the last one they leave someone with?

Conventional wisdom says the first impression should be the priority because ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression.’ That makes sense, to a degree. Business operations and marketing campaigns are created around generating the new business—creating that first impression. Then once the money changes hands, the deal is done and the company has accomplished its goal.

But let me ask you this, what do people remember? People remember how you made them feel in the end—or the last time you interacted with them. That is the ultimate determining factor in whether they will do business with you, or if they will again as well as what they will say when they talk about you (and remember how powerful word of mouth really is).

So the next time you re-evaluate your customer processes, make sure you are paying attention to every step of the customer experience as well as the final impression.