The First Four

One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand. That’s how quickly prospective clients judge your company. In just four seconds, your company has made a first impression, and after four minutes, that impression has solidified. And although this impression can change during the course of an interaction, getting the first impression right gives you a huge competitive advantage. In the first four minutes, your potential customers are quickly answering these subconscious questions about your company:

Where do people first interact with your brand? It could be on the web, through an ad, on the telephone, by email or in person. Within four minutes, they’ve formed a very firm first impression. Knowing this, check each of these first contact points and see how you can up your First Four game. Use the following table to get your marketing signals right, immediately.

Do your website, advertising, emails, and phone and in-person communications pass the First Four check? What type of first impression do your potential clients get? Make sure they instantly feel your team’s kindness, understanding, expertise and “for the customer” philosophy.