When giving a tour of your flexible office space, keep in mind that it takes as little as seven seconds to make a good first impression. In this resource for coworking space operators, we break down the art of touring a potential coworking space member into five important steps. Keep reading to learn the “must-do’s” when giving a workspace tour that not only ‘closes the deal’, but also helps to build upon your cohesive coworking community.
Get the digits
Introduce yourself with a handshake, exchange names, and have them sign into the iPad (this is very important). Having them sign into the iPad allows you to gather some information about them that you may use to follow up with them after the tour and helps keep track of who toured and when.
Pro tip: Make sure this information gets into whatever CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool you use to track sales leads.
Engage your prospect
People usually like talking about themselves. Get the conversation rolling by asking your potential new member about what they do: What brought them here, what projects they are working on, etc. You can do this right at the beginning, or spread your questions throughout the tour (it shows that we’re genuinely interested in our members’ work, and gives us a good feel if they are a positive fit for the community). This is important, because as much as you want to fill up your coworking space with hard-working and involved community members, not everyone will be a good fit, and that’s OK.
Your unique elevator pitch
Give them a well-rounded elevator pitch about what makes your space unique. We’re talking who we are, what we do, why we do it, and why they want it! Keep it simple, but have a little fun with it too, because this industry is fun! Nothing brings folks to snores quicker than a lame and over-the-top “salesy” elevator pitch. Be sure to put a strong emphasis on our commitment to combining space and community.
Know your tour footpath
Map out the exact path you want to take for the physical tour of the space beforehand. The order in which you show particular areas of your space should be intentional. Space tours should have a nice flow that naturally highlights the uniqueness of your shared workspace environment. Since all coworking spaces are not created equal, you’ll need to come up with the footpath that works for you while making sure to hit the following points:
- Membership levels you offer and all of their perks (open coworking, dedicated desks, private office space, and virtual office plans)
- Show off all your meeting rooms
- Phone Booths
- Kitchen (showcase coffee, tea, appliances, cleaning policy, etc).
- Explain business address and mail handling services
- Printing, scanning and faxing
- Member wall (explain the importance of having one in every space i.e. for networking, a sense of community, engagement in the space, etc.)
- Events board (give some examples of networking events held in the space, including happy hours and member lunches)
Always remember to periodically break for questions, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm them with too much information. Although your space may not offer all of these exact amenities, it’s imperative to showcase the amenities you do have. You want prospective members to feel empowered and visualize themselves in the space and utilizing the amenities.
Offer a test drive
The final step is to let them know they can contact you with any questions and thank them for coming. Be sure to give them a rate sheet and one of your business cards, and, after using your trusty ‘superhero senses’ to determine whether they’re a good fit, offer them a free Day Pass to come and try out the space for themselves.
Offering them a Day Pass is ideal because it will allow them to feel welcomed into your space and help them to determine if the space will work for them. Lastly, thank them for taking the time to come in and kindly walk them to the exit, sending them back into the world.
Bonus Tip: Have a virtual tour option
During the height of Covid, virtual tours were a necessity, but we’ve found virtual tours to be a valuable tool within the sales process. For prospects who can’t make an in-person tour because of scheduling conflicts, or for folks who are into “instant gratification,” the ability to offer a virtual tour is a great way to show off your space right now. Check out our Virtual Tour Best Practices Guide to get started.
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