Giving Tours with a Focus Higher Up on the Hierarchy of Needs
When you think about different ways to improve your tour of your coworking space for a potential member, you often think about things like pricing or how to close the deal. I had a podcast listener email a question that really resonated with me about tours. She wanted to know what tangible items needed to be available before a coworking space was open in order to truly give people a sense of the space and all it had to offer.
Her question reminded me of a comment I saw on an application for the 2019 Community Manager Award for the Global Workspace Association. When people went to tour this particular coworking space, the nominated community manager elevated their experience so much that they looked beyond the tangible items in the space. They started realizing that it was much more than just a space to work! Sometimes we may become focused on the fundamental base needs of someone who is looking at a space, but it’s essential to focus on the higher needs the person might have and how your space can help them.
Jamie Orr, co-founder of Cowork Tahoe and Jellyswitch, put this into perspective by think about her coworking space in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Check out her blog post and graphic on the hierarchy here. The bottom of the hierarchy is physiological needs, followed by safety, belonging, and self actualization. The physiological needs of your coworking space would be aspects like nice desks, comfortable chairs, and convenience. Once those needs are met, the potential customer will be able to move to the next step in the hierarchy - safety. This could be the security of the building as well as the privacy of the Internet. Once they felt safe, they’d look for a sense of belonging. Members are searching for a space in which they feel comfortable and can build professional relationships. This leads us to the top of the hierarchy, self-actualization. Will the space make a member feel as if they will overall be fulfilled?
A tour shouldn’t just focus on physiological needs needs. While those are important, it’s essential when you tour your coworking space to move your potential member up the pyramid so that they can see the full range of ways your coworking space can serve them. Think about what you’re covering on your tour and how you are showing the potential member the higher level aspects that you are able to offer them in your space.
Want to join our coworking conversation in the Everything Coworking Facebook Group? Find us here!