Why the design of your proposal matters: the psychology of first impressions

Three goals down before kick-off

A forwarded Word document next to a polished PDF. A standard portrait document next to a landscape design that reads like a presentation. Before the client knows what is in it, they can see whether anyone made an effort.

Miss the first impression, and you are three goals down.

Neat and professional is only the minimum. You make the difference by giving the impression that something special was made for this client.

What happens in the reader’s mind

That design counts is not a matter of taste. It ties in with a few well-known findings from psychology.

• Halo effectOne impression colours the restA positive impression on one point carries over into the judgement of everything else. It works the other way too: a sloppy first page drags the rest down.
• Processing fluencyEasy to read is more convincingIn research, statements presented in a way that was easier to read were more often judged to be true. Clear design makes your content more credible.
• AestheticsWell-designed feels easierPeople often experience an attractive design as easier to use. A polished proposal feels like a supplier who is easy to work with.
• From practiceAttention feels like respectA good-looking proposal invites reading, and tells the client they have been taken seriously.

The client first, then the design

More is not always better. In a private tender, design starts with what this client wants. Do they want everything worked out, or something concrete and brief? And what do the others in the decision-making unit want? Procurement looks for different things than management, and the users for different things again.

You need to find that out, and shape the proposal around it. A client who wants something short will be irritated by a thick document, however beautiful. A client you really want to win deserves a special, with everything tailored.

Images make the difference

Photos and other visuals turn a proposal into a real sales tool instead of a few pages of text. In a special they belong there anyway. But it matters which images you use.

It is not about you. It is about the client.

• DoTailored imagesThe client’s situation, their site, their people or their product, with permission where needed. A visual of your approach applied to their situation. The client recognises themselves straight away.
• Don’tStock photosEveryone knows them, and they say nothing about this client. They show that an average design was pulled off the shelf.
• Don’tOnly yourselfPages full of your own office, vehicles and team. Show yourself in relation to the client: your team on their site, your solution in their situation.

The aim is for the client to recognise themselves and realise that real attention went into their proposal. Make it special. Put in the effort.

Printed? Then do it properly

A printed version can make a big impression, but only if you really commit to it. A stapled stack from the office printer does more harm than good. Choose a bound book with a hard cover. Then the client holds something that stays on the desk, and that they pass on to the others who decide.

The details that can spoil everything

1. 1The right name, everywhereAnother client’s name left over from a previous proposal is the quickest way to show you copy and paste.
2. 2One consistent lookThe same fonts, colours and structure from start to finish. A proposal made of loose parts looks like one.
3. 3Images support the textEvery image says something that belongs on that page. An image that only fills space draws attention away from your message.
4. 4Let someone else lookFresh eyes see in five minutes what you no longer see after three weeks of writing.