Organize + Energize: Making A Good First Impression
Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert
Organize + Energize: Making A Good First Impression
For just a few minutes think about how you feel when you walk into a disorganized office, whether it is yours or somebody you are doing business with. Does it make you feel uncomfortable, stressed, distracted, overwhelmed, or anxious? How does it make you feel if it is your office? Are you okay with feeling like that?
Think about how new clients feel when they walk into your disorganized office. I can guarantee they will focus more on the disorganization instead of what you are saying to them. They will be asking themselves if they should go with another (more organized) company.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWhen you think "disorganized", you think about the company not returning your calls on time, showing up late for appointments, forgetting they had an appointment with you, misfiling your information, or even worse, your information getting mixed in with another client’s information. On the whole, you want to know the company you are dealing with is efficient, focused, and productive.
Be sure that the first person a client comes into contact with when they walk into the office is organized. The gatekeeper will be a representation of the how the office runs. You could be super organized, but if the first person they see when they enter the office is disorganized, they will have already formed an opinion about the company.
You never get a second chance...
Do you find yourself distracted by your disorganization? If you are distracted, imagine how your clients feel. They will be more focused on the piles of paper on your desk, the cluttered bulletin board, and the sticky notes all over your computer than what you are saying to them.
How long has it taken you to find a file, paperwork, or important information when a client was in your office? Were you embarrassed that they had to sit there and wait while you searched for information and tried to remember where it was located? If so, you really need to think about getting organized before you start to lose clients.
Walk into your office and write down all the things you want to change. Do you want to re-organize your physical space to make it more esthetically appealing to the eye? Do you need to re-structure your filing systems? Can you see the top of your desk? Get the piles off your desk and try to keep as little as possible on the desk.
We already have enough stress in the workday, why would you want to add to that stress by being disorganized? Your time management skills will improve, you will be more efficient and productive, and your clients will have more confidence in you. Do you want to retain your clients and not lose them to the competition because you are disorganized? Get the edge on your competition and get organized!
5 Organizing Blunders
Not planning ahead
Getting organized is a process and you have to have a plan on how to conquer your project. You can’t tear apart an entire room all at once. You need to break the project down into small pieces. Plan to tackle your project in 3-hour increments. If you work longer than 3 hours at a time, you are setting yourself up for burnout. Plan ahead to try to avoid distractions and stay focused.
Click here for more tips on how to avoid distractions.
Purchasing the incorrect supplies
I know you are excited to get organized, but don’t rush out to the store and purchase products just because you like the way they look. Get organized first. Figure out what you need to contain, and then purchase your container to match the items you need it to hold.
Click here for more on choosing the right container.
Not letting others know about your system
Once you set up the organized system, you have to get everybody in your home on board. Show them the systems and how you are going to function with this system going forward. Label everything if you must, so everybody gets in the habit of putting items away. Remember, the simpler the system, the easier it’s going to be to maintain.
Need help creating those systems? Go here.
Not maximizing your space
Use every inch of space and use it well. Take everything out of the area you are organizing. You can’t get a clear visual of the space if it is filled with clutter. Shifting items around is not going to work.
Here are more tips on maximizing your space.
Repeatedly clearing spaces
You are creating more work for yourself if you continue to clear spaces once a month. Create a system and allow everything in your home to have its own place, and you will never have to clear a space again.
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on Mondays at 8:30am on www.talkstreamradio.com.
