Imagine two print ads. In one ad, there is a group photo of smiling accountants standing outside of their building. In another ad, an accountant is golfing while wearing lederhosen.

Which ad is more memorable? Which ad differentiates the CPA firm?

While only the coolest accountant could pull off wearing lederhosen (many thanks Gary Jackson!) this real example illustrates that professionals can miss an opportunity when they go with the same tired marketing or sales tactics.

People process visual information up to seven times faster than words. While your firm’s key messages are a critical part of your brand, design elements add a whole layer of story that human beings have a visceral and memorable reaction to.

The ways that people present themselves (body language, clothing, grooming) also tell a story about your firm. Great design combined with professional style and presence is a winning combination today. It shows that you care about the details. You have self-respect and a willingness to put in extra effort.

While it’s true that you can’t pick out some multi-millionaires from the average person on the street, the multi-millionaires probably don’t need this article. For those of you who sell trust, credibility and expertise — and want to make millions — read on:

Pumping up Design and Style 

Design includes your fonts, colors, logo glyph, photos, paper and the other visual elements on your business cards, sales kits and website. In most professional service firms, design extends into your office decor.

You know good design when you see it. It’s appealing, welcoming, easy to navigate and compelling. It helps customers find you and want to interact with you.

Most people also know good style when they see it. Shoes, fabrics and impeccable grooming create a distinct first impression. But it’s also the body posture, facial expression and tone of voice that attracts notice.

Visual elements add up to an impression of who you are, how good you are and how much you are worth — whether accurate or not. Perception is reality. Good design and superb style quietly build trust without saying a word.

Nowhere is design and style more important than in mid-sized firms and businesses. Good design and personal style give your marketing and sales efforts a tailwind. Weak design and wimpy style do nothing. When every dollar counts, you need a tailwind to push you along.

This year, Ingenuity had the opportunity to talk about great design at the Association for Accounting Marketing annual summit in Chicago. Rachel Gold, Communications Consultant and Lucas Beck, Art Director, painted some “vivid” mental imagery by discussing the merits of card stock in a skit similar to the game show, “The Dating Game.” We decided to go with a humorous presentation while also sending strong messages, because part of Ingenuity’s style is to promote fun in the marketing process. Here is a sample of the “Dating Game,” conversation (and innuendo) that helped the audience remember that design differences do matter.

Rachel: “So number one, how would you describe your edginess?”

Sample #1: “Well, my edges are kind of rough…Hey! You like it rough?”

Rachel: (looking a bit frightened) “Ok, number two, if you don’t mind my asking…how thick are you?”

Sample #2: (clearly embarrassed) “Oh, um, well I’m just kind of average thickness, so nothing really special.”

Rachel: “All right, thank you. No other questions. So number three, if we were in a really dark room together, how would I find you?”

Sample #3: “You would find me really shiny. I was recently embossed.” (wink)

Rachel: (impressed) “Mmm, shiny.”

Design and content can be cutting edge and still professional. Your professional style can also be edgy without tipping toward bawdy.

If your firm — or you — need a visual makeover, here is a process that we have seen work.

1. Limit your decision makers to no more than three of your team.
2. Know your audience, your objective and the message you want to send. Give this information to your designer or personal shopper/stylist.
3. Collect samples of things you like and think are effective. Show them to your designer.
4. Step back and open your mind. Let your designer work.
5. Look at the initial concepts your designer has chosen. Ask the designer to share with you the process and ideas behind each design. If any concepts are a “no,” say so immediately. Blending — taking a font from one design and an element from another — is usually a bad idea. The same goes for blending pearls with flip flops. Leave the beach wear on the beach.
6. Let the design(s) settle in. Think about them for a day or two. Post them up in your office. Show them to a few people whose taste you admire. Warning: I said a few people. Each and every one will have a different opinion and too many opinions, like too many colors, can create what artists call “mud.”
7. If none of the designs is perfect, give the designer feedback on your thoughts. One of the most common pieces of feedback we receive is that the frontrunner is not conservative enough.
8. Consider that conservative, always and in every case, means boring. If you can afford boring, go ahead. If you need a tailwind for your marketing dollars, jump at a fresh idea and be willing to stand out (maybe not in lederhosen, but perhaps in plaid).
9. Listen to your designer. Just as your best clients take your professional advice, be willing to consider the advice of marketing and design professionals.

Our clients tend to be bottom-line people. While many of them respond to clean and crisp design, few of them deal with it in their own firms on a daily basis. Whether your core competency is finance, accounting, engineering or law, making decisions about design and style isn’t second nature. Yet you have to make sound business decisions about websites, brands and advertising. Graphic design makes an impression. A confident style makes an impression. If you aren’t clear on the impression you are making, it’s time to find out.

Yes, it is possible to achieve the fine balance of cutting edge and conservative with your brand. Not only is it possible, it is a critical way for professional service firms to achieve higher billing rates and visibility. Here are some statistics presented at this year’s Association for Accounting Marketing summit in Chicago by our own Rachel Gold and Lucas Beck on the power of great content and design.

1. Brand leaders realize higher fees. 

According to a 2008 pricing benchmark report for the consulting industry, brand leaders and “not very well known” firms have similar standard/book rates, but the brand leaders posted higher fees overall:

• Upper-level professionals (VP, New Partner): 11% higher
• Advanced-level professionals (Directors): 29% higher
• Mid-level professionals (Managers, Post-MBA): 20% higher
• Entry-level professionals (Associates): 35% higher

2. Great design attracts more leads. 

In the area of great design, GA Wright Marketing Inc. reported that response rates went up based on specific choices:

• High quality color generated 33% more responses
• High quality color plus high quality paper generated 48% more response
• A well-designed headline and graphic outperformed a flashy, overly bright design by 55%

If you want more clarity around what a brand leader looks like or how to take your design to the next level without resorting to “flash,” contact Ingenuity.