The Eyes Eat First
My Dad was a master chef. His motto was “The eyes eat first.”
What he meant was that presentation will make or break the dining experience. Artistry on the plate sells food, but a dish of glop will be left to go cold.
The adage is even more true for communicators. Great presentation will make you impactful, and lack thereof will get you ignored. Certain members of my “editorial board & proofreading team”, for instance, won’t read past the first line if they encounter typos or goofy language. Conversely, attractive layout, tasteful graphics and good typesetting all work together to tell the reader they are in for a treat.
It may not seem fair, but readers and listeners will hold bad presentation against you. They will discount the importance of your message. On the other hand, taking the time to present well gives you a persuasive advantage. Smart young lawyers quickly learn that the layout of court documents gives them a real leg up over their slovenly counterparts whose sloppy, disorganized work advertises “I really don’t care.”
Even e-mail, which many of us take too lightly, is much improved by taking time to ensure it is laid out cleanly and clearly. Bullet points and numbering, for instance, suggest to the reader that you’ve actually put your mind to the message at hand.
This week, before you hit “send” or “print”, review your work product and ask whether it looks smart and attractive. Remember– “the eyes eat first”.