When visiting someone’s home or office, there is no better beginning than a warm welcome. Be it a firm handshake, a gentle hug, a smile or some combination of all three. Being welcomed sets the stage for everything that happens from that point forward.
No one wants to be a nuisance, forgotten or overlooked. Which means we need to prepare before people arrive to make them feel welcomed from the get go. Plan what to have ready when they enter – food, spaces, tools or utensils, materials, seating – being sure to think and prep for their need to make the visit or meeting productive. This means investing ahead of time in what it takes to set the stage for everyone to have what they need to feel welcomed. Sounds simple and yet because it is simple we too often live ‘on the fly’ and end up wasting time and opportunity to set the stage for success.
Want your meeting, dinner, visit to be successful? Do whatever it takes ahead of time to meet the personal and practical needs of the people before they arrive. A warm welcome, one where things are prepared ahead of time, means more time focusing on the people and the topic rather than the pencils or the plates. In the end, success lies in how we treat the people and show that we value their time and personal needs.
A warm welcome sets the stage for success.
Ann Art Gallery Blog 