Chaos to Confidence

A small law firm had the interesting problem that potential clients would walk into their offices and sometimes almost immediately turn around and walk out again.  Clearly, this is significant potential revenue being lost. 

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Enter Tree Consulting. Keep in mind that when a client walks into a law firm, they are often at their most vulnerable. Their cortisol levels are high, and their "threat detection" is at maximum. This means that first impressions immediately trigger decisions and action, without much, if any, thought. So we started by looking at the physical space through the lens of Environmental Psychology. It was clear immediately that the small firm had unintentionally been signallign chaos and disorder. If there is one thing a legal practitioner MUST signal, it is control and order.  Here's what we actioned. 

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1. Reception: From "Too Much" to "Just Right"

The reception area was to be full of "stuff." Art pieces & small decorations—it was beautiful, but it was very noisy. For a client who is already anxious, that visual noise adds to the anxiety they already have too much of. The reception area felt crowded even without people in it. 

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What we changed: We cleared the decks. We traded the "clutter" for one single, bold piece of art. Now, when a potential client walks in, the first thing they do is 'breathe'. The space feels open, and it signals that the firm has the mental room to focus on the client's problem.

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2. The Open Office: Owning the Space

The small firm had a problem: an open-plan office. In a law firm, 'open' immediately signals  'everyone can hear my secrets'. Since there was really no room for walls, never mind the cost to have drywalling done, we decided to change the narrative. 

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What we changed: We put up a big, bold sign that says: "Open minds require open spaces". By naming the big, white elephant, we turned the weakness into a philosophy. Suddenly, the open floor didn't look like a lack of privacy—it looked like a culture of collaboration and transparency. We gave purpose to the elephant we could not hide

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3. The 'Message' in the Corner

The firm had some filing boxes in a corner.  They were empty, and waiting to be used. However, to a client, these look like 'work we haven't finished', or at best, 'we can't be bothered to put these away. Neither of these is a good sign.

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What we changed: We cleared the clutter. Simple as that. By removing the boxes, created the narrative of an organised and efficient team, ready for whatever clients may need.

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Takeaways

You don't need an overpriced office renovation to change how people perceive your business. You just need to look at your space through the eyes of someone who is looking for a reason to trust you. Small changes, massive impact.