Are you operating your business from a serviced office? You’ll no doubt want to take advantage of the space and use it to meet your important clients. Here, we share six top tips for hosting your clients in a serviced office. Let’s get started.
A serviced office provides you with an impressive and affordable office space solution for your business.
See also: Key benefits of using a serviced office
The offices provided are usually neutrally decorated and you may wish to add some of your personality and your business' branding before meeting your clients. As well as helping you feel more established in the space, this can give a subtle but important boost to the impression you make on your potential clients.
Talk to the serviced office manager to see what you are permitted to do in terms of decorating. Maybe you could hang some of your own pictures, put up a branded roller banner, or place branded materials such as mugs or notebooks in clients' view and reach.
In the age of the smartphone, all your client needs to reach you is an address, right? Well, that’s not the point. Go the extra mile and show that you care, by providing them with a clear map accompanied by travel advice, a couple of days before you're due to meet. Speak to your serviced office provider, as they’re likely to have a digital map or link that you can easily share.
If you are using our 71-75 serviced offices, you can send your client a link to our contact page, which gives details of the numerous ways to reach your Covent Garden location. If you know where your client will be travelling from, you could flag the most convenient route for them, and any disruptions you are aware of that might affect their journey.
All of this will ensure that the client arrives in as stress-free a manner as possible, getting your meeting off to a great start.
Some serviced offices also provide meeting rooms that are bookable in hourly slots, as well as half-days and full-days. If you share your serviced office with other team members, it may be more appropriate to host your client meeting in the privacy of a meeting room, rather than in the open environment of the office.
See also: Benefits of hiring a meeting room for your business
See also: How to book a meeting at 71-75
Rather than waiting until the day to book a meeting room, and risk them all being unavailable, take the time to book a room as soon as you can. If privacy is an absolute must, you should probably arrange the meeting around room availability.
Either way, it’s not a great look if the client arrives on the day and you’re scrambling around looking for a quiet area where you can meet. So, book it in early.
In addition to making sure you have a suitable space to host the meeting, you should also prepare any technology you’ll need on the day, and acquaint yourself with the set-up processes. This is particularly important if you’re delivering a form of presentation, and the smooth running of the meeting could make the difference between securing or losing a client.
If you are unsure about how something works, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from the in-house IT specialist. Whilst the level of support on offer differs from space to space, you can at least expect to receive some basic guidance when it comes to your technological needs.
A good serviced office will include a team of friendly, professional receptionists, who can help your business make a brilliant impression. If you’re fortunate enough to have this facility in place, don’t let it go to waste.
Before the arrival of your client, let your reception team know that you are expecting a guest, providing their name, anticipated arrival time, and any other details that may be relevant. You could even show them a picture of the client, so they know who to keep an eye out for.
This way, whether it’s a potential client or a well-established one, they will receive a warm welcome that sets the right tone for the rest of the day.
If it's your client's first visit and they have time, you could make them feel at home by giving them a tour of the office when they arrive. Introduce them to your team, if you have one, show them where the toilets are located, grab them a coffee from the machine, and highlight any areas of interest (perhaps the office has a gaming room, or a balcony with a view).
It’s not just about showing off the serviced office. You should also make the most of your location. If you’re lucky enough to have an office based in an interesting place - and the client is willing - you could take them off-site for a tour of the area, or a nice lunch or dinner. This is especially important when a bit of schmoozing is required.
71-75's location in Covent Garden, for example, means there are a large number of high-quality restaurants within walking distance: perfect locations to continue a conversation and perhaps clinch a deal.
That’s six top tips for hosting clients at your serviced office. Follow the advice covered in this article to ensure the meetings that you hold at your serviced office go well - whether it’s here with us at 71-75 or elsewhere. Thanks for reading. We hope you have found this article useful.
