When researching and writing my book, Five Ways Your Design is Sabotaging Your Sales, I rediscovered how extremely vulnerable people are to being influenced by visual stimuli.
For example, when something looks nice, people assume it also works well.
Apple has gorgeous design. But there are other phones, laptops, and computers that work just as well or better in terms of functionality. Nonetheless, Apple is perceived to be the market leader in innovation and technology. (In reality, they’re #2 behind Microsoft).
As another example, tall men are regarded as being smarter or stronger than short men. Slap a giant, expensive watch on their wrist and they are perceived to be successful and powerful too. Seriously.
If a $10,000 wristwatch is not in your budget, consider this:
As a professional, your prospects and potential clients haven’t a clue about the actual quality of your service. Those things are unmeasurable and indeterminable by the average person.
If you have written books, have a good newsletter, a good website and regularly connect with your prospects, then you are miles ahead of your competitors.
If not, then your potential clients will get their cues elsewhere. Usually, it’s perceived by how your marketing looks. Their decisions about how competent and successful you are will be based on how you present yourself.
At my company, Zine, we firmly believe your marketing should look like you know what you’re doing. If it looks haphazard and sloppy or just average, then your services will be perceived as haphazard, sloppy, or average.
Investing in your image will give your prospects the confidence to invest in you as well.