Every day just before you rush to work, I bet you look in the mirror to check your image. It does this to ensure that it will project the correct image. It comes naturally because we all want to look our best for any occasion.
In the same way that you check your personal image, consider how often you check the image of your business documents. If your company is like most, it’s been years since you’ve critically resembled the way your customers and prospects view (and criticize) your image. However, every day your business sends many documents: invoices, emails, receipts, business cards, labels, statements, instructions or information, advertisements, shipping boxes, bags, emails, checks, forms, envelopes, all with the company name stamped boldly. . You have seen these documents for years and have not looked at them critically for a long time, yet a new prospect or customer will see them for the first time. Maybe it’s time to take a critical look to make sure your business is projecting the image you want them to see.
The process is simple. Go on a document safari. Gather everything that can be seen. Extend them by function. In-house forms pile up in one pile, business stationery in another, and advertisements in another. Pull out your big red marker and review each one for functionality, aesthetics, and promoting business goals. Be brutal and your image will improve!
Are they congruent? Do they all have the same font, logo, contact information (address, URL, phone and numbers, etc.)? Are they up to date? Better check and be sure.
Are they easy to read? If part of your audience is in the middle age range, check the font size
Are they easy to understand (not the same as easy to read)? If your forms are difficult to fill out and use, people get frustrated, then angry, then leave and go somewhere else.
Are they visually updated? They could have been designed when wide ties or ruffle hairstyles were all the rage, but they don’t fit in with contemporary cultural idioms.
Do they fulfill their marketing mission and make a positioning statement that reinforces their image in your market?
If you find a large mess of documents from different eras, expressing a Babel of different images, it might be beneficial to hire a graphic designer to tidy up your document house. In other words, a document makeover.
The last step in the process, and probably the most important, is setting the calendar for another document review next year. It will only take a few minutes. Your image will be polished and you will be able to look in the mirror and wink with pride!