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| Mar 09, 2006 6:21 pm |
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Persuasive Graphics |
Steven Boaze
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Have you ever wondered why some people learn more
easily through graphics than they do through
words?
A study conducted by the University of Minnesota
found that the use of simple graphics increased
the persuasiveness of a message by 47%.
Here are some ideas for using color and graphics
to enhance your copy:
* Use your customer's logo on the title page of
your proposal and balance it in terms of size and
impact with your own logo. (If you know that the
customer absolutely hates having their logo used
by outsiders, obviously don't do this). Too many
proposals go out with a cover and title page
dominated by the vendor's logo. It comes across
as self-centered and obnoxious.
* If the customer has a "company color,"
incorporate it into your design. For example,
using a line at the top of the page in their
color to separate the header from body text, or
putting major headings in their color, are subtle
ways of communicating to them.
* Avoid using clip art. It usually doesn't
enhance your document. It's not smart to throw
something into the document just because it's
available. Your goal is to include appropriate
graphics that reinforce your message.
* Avoid highly technical graphics, complex
diagrams and charts. Simple graphics are better.
They will attract more attention and they will be
easier to understand. If you must include
schematics, drawings, network diagrams, or
similar technical visuals, consider putting them
in a technical appendix or providing them as
attachments.
* Graphics should be oriented horizontally on the
page, just like the text. The reader should never
need to turn your document sideways to look at
your graphic.
* Write an active caption that not only explains
what the graphic is showing but also emphasizes a
customer benefit. In long documents, it's a good
idea to number the graphics, too.
* Discussing an idea in the text and then
illustrating it graphically is more effective
than showing the graphic and then discussing it.
NEVER put all the graphics at the end of the
document (with the exception noted from above
regarding highly technical drawings). If people
have to flip back and forth between the text and
the graphics, they won't get the full value of
either.
* Use the kinds of graphics that are appropriate
to the role of the audience. For example: CEOs,
CFOs, COOs, and other senior executives are
likely to look at payback calculations, ROI
charts, or gap analyses.
Technical evaluators will appreciate a compliance
matrix more than any other kind of graphic. (A
compliance matrix lists each requirement, shows
your level of compliance with it, and references
where in the document the evaluator can find
detailed information).
The "business beneficiaries" of your
solution--that is, the people who will use it or
maintain it--will be most interested in graphics
showing the cycle of operation, work flow,
escalation policies for handling problems, and so
forth.
Think about graphics while you're outlining or
organizing your document, before you have written
any text. Graphics that are thrown in as an
afterthought typically look like afterthoughts.
By following these tips, your documents will be
more colorful, more interesting, and will
probably have more impact.
Steven BoazePrivate Reply to Steven Boaze (new win) |
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