Inspiration for what to blog about can come from the most
unlikely places. One such example came
last week from a Hampton Inn in northern Wisconsin: One morning, as I wandered down to the hotel breakfast
area in search of some nourishment, the burger that I had for dinner the
previous evening sat like a rock in my stomach.
I wanted something healthier and hoped that the breakfast offering
included oatmeal.
Happily, the breakfast bar did include oatmeal. Unhappily, this is what it looked like:
In an instant, my taste for oatmeal vanished and I decided
to see what else was available.
OK, I get it, it’s a hotel, not a restaurant. I don’t expect a gourmet menu. But is it possible to make oatmeal look any
less desirable? Upon sharing this
picture with my wife, she compared it to the compost bin we keep in the kitchen
for fruit and vegetable peelings and leftover scraps. Not exactly the comparison the folks at
Hampton Inn were shooting for, I’m sure.
Let’s see if we can’t draw some food for thought (pardon the
pun) from this most unfortunate food presentation.
The Importance of the First Few Seconds
In his book “Blink”, renowned author Malcolm Gladwell
describes that our rapid recognition subconsciously make a series of
conclusions about something within the first few seconds of seeing it. It’s why we dress nicely for a job interview,
why we shave and comb our hair on a first date, and why we make eye contact and
smile when we meet a prospect for the first time. All because we want the person we’re engaging
to like us and give us what we want, whether it’s a job, a relationship or their
business.
Sales & Marketing Materials
Here’s the reason the look of your sales & marketing
materials (brochures, case studies, whitepapers, etc.) is so important: It’s often the first impression prospects and
customers will have of your company and you want them to subconsciously
conclude that you’re a professional and reputable company and make them
comfortable with the prospect of doing business with you.
Website & Blog
Thanks to Google and other search engines, your website is
very likely the first impression prospects will have of you and accordingly it
should have a clean format so visitors are able to quickly determine what you
do. Graphics should be clear and
relevant, headers should logically break up your pages so the viewer can
quickly scan and decide if you can provide what they’re looking for.
Your blog should have the same characteristics: an appealing
look that makes the reader want to explore and read deeper. Relevant graphics and images make your blog
posts more readable, and headers break up the body of the post, make it more
reader-friendly and allow the reader to identify the highlights and decide if
they want to read more.
Sales Proposals & Quotations
Sales proposals and quotations are notoriously poorly
formatted. Many companies simply list
quantities and prices for what they will provide, expecting that to be enough
to convince the reader that they can solve the problem at hand. Images and headers are important here, too,
and if your document exceeds ten pages you might want to think about adding a
table of contents so readers can quickly locate what they’re looking for.
A professional title page clearly showing the title of the
proposal, who the document was written for and by, and the date would all help
create a positive first impression.
Conclusion
A bag of oatmeal doesn’t provide the most appealing first
impression for someone with an appetite for a healthy breakfast. Your sales & marketing materials
shouldn’t make this same mistake: your website, blog, sales proposals and
quotations and other materials should have a clean, concise and professional
look, lest your prospects and customers take a pass on dealing with you or your
company and consider some other options.
Got
something to say? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you! Got a
question that we can address in our blog? Contact us through our website or email me directly and we’ll put our
crack team to work and let you know when we post a reply.
Other Blog Posts
If you
liked this blog post, here are some other blog posts that you might also like:
- The Importance of Tone in Business Writing
- Do Your Sales Quotations Leave a Positive and Lasting Impression?
- How to Write a Great Business Letter
Steve Hartley,
Managing Partner
Fering
Communications Inc.
Website: www.feringcommunications.com
