Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

Yesterday and today I saw two of the ugliest booklets I've seen in a long time. I know I just wrote about how much format matters just a few days ago. This is so pressing that I couldn't help myself in writing about it so soon again.

I would never tell the clients their booklet was ugly in those words. However, these clients' booklets were among the worst I've seen, no question about it.

From what I understand, in one case, the client truly loved the graphics selected for that booklet, in spite of advise given by vendors working with the client. In the other situation, the client had no clue at all that the booklet needed to go beyond a Word document at all, with zero graphics in the manuscript.

What's the big deal about all of this, especially when I am the loud and strong advocate of simplistic design of booklets? Even though the booklets are completely different than books that get sold in retail environments, where the cover truly counts, appearance does still make a difference.

Amateurish graphics or no design at all truly detracts from the wonderful expertise shared in the words of the booklet. Many people cannot get past the formatting, period. They will be so pulled by the presentation that the brilliance gets completely lost in the shuffle. More people are visually attracted than any other learning style from everything I've ever heard or read or experienced. If that's the case, then you owe it to yourself to have a graphic designer do a good job of making the words look good on the page. It is false economy to do otherwise, and can most definitely keep you from making sales.

If you do not already have a professional (or even personal) relationship with a good graphic designer, then contact ours. You'll find them listed at http://www.tipsbooklets.com/vendors.htm Sometimes they have a lot of work to do so you may need to wait a week longer, and sometimes they treat themselves to a vacation. However, they are fabulous people and know what to do at prices that are quite reasonable. Contact them now.

Until next time,
Paulette
http://www.tipsbooklets.com