WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID? Office decor can help determine whether you keep clientsAuthor(s): Paul MarcotteSource: ABA Journal, Vol. 73, No. 10 (AUGUST 1, 1987), p. 34Published by: American Bar AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20759432 .

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WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?

Office decor can help determine whether you keep clients

Marvin Stone: "People will feel uncomfortable but won't know why."

A lawyer's plants, reception room

magazines, and the color of his office may have a lot to do with how seri ously his clients take his advice?and whether they decide to return.

A Texas psychiatrist says there's a psychology to decorating that helps make clients feel comfortable and have confidence in their lawyer.

Office design has subtle but def inite effects on people, according to Dr. Marvin A. Stone, a lawyer and as sistant professor of psychiatry and behavior science at the University of Texas Medical Center, Houston.

For example, Stone said a client may form a bad impression of a law yer from the firm's waiting room. Mismatched furniture, out-of-date magazines and harsh wall colors may cause a client to "wonder if this guy really knows what he's doing."

Plastic plants tend to make peo ple believe the lawyer takes short cuts

and won't devote enough time to their legal matters, according to Stone. He said living plants provide a feeling of warmth and help project an attitude that the lawyer is a "nurturing per son."

Soft colors and good lighting also put people at ease. "A lot of this is subconscious," said Stone. "People will feel comfortable but won't know why.

... We're all influenced by non

verbal behavior."

How comfortable a client feels in the office can determine whether he will continue to use the lawyer. "If a client isn't comfortable in the office, he or she probably won't return, nor recommend that lawyer to friends," said Stone.

Marjorie Miller, chairman of the ABA's Office Layout and Design Committee of the Section on Eco nomics of Law Practice, agrees that office design is important.

She said lawyers should be care ful in choosing colors for their of fices. For instance, studies have shown the color red agitates people and can increase blood pressure. Dark brown and black can induce fatigue.

Blue has a sedative effect. Yel low is perceived as warm and cheer ful. White is neutral and makes a space feel bigger.

A firm that displays law books and personal computers can induce its clients to feel that it is competent and keeps up with technology, said Miller, who is a vice-president of Hil debrandt, a management consulting firm. Lighting and furniture design also affect employee productivity.

Stone said lawyers considering redesigning their offices on their own should at least briefly consult with a designer who is familiar with creat ing a relaxed atmosphere.

?Paul Marcotte

34 ABA JOURNAL / AUGUST 1, 1987 ABAJ/Wide world

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