When it comes to written material, what do you think of when you hear the word “visuals”? Most folks I speak to think “graphics.”
Well here’s the scoop. Text itself is also a visual.
Text is actually the representation of an auditory experience. When we read a chunk of text, we experience hearing someone talk to us. We often picture that person, even when we have no idea who that person is or what they actually look like. How does that happen?
Try this exercise: spend a moment looking at the following three words.
As you look at each of these words, does your mind conjure a person speaking it? This happens because written words are clothed in type. Here, the typeface is the only difference.
What internal voice do you hear as you read each word? Is it male? Female? What age? Mood? Tone of voice? Maybe your mind even conjures a facial expression or some body language?
This conjuring is so automatic we rarely think about it. And therein lies the problem.
The typefaces you choose affect the perception of your words, and influence our visceral response. Reading your words as bold, regular, or italic type, helps conjure the particular voice we hear as we read.
Every time you send out a written communication, you’re also sending impressions about yourself—your personality, expertise, style, leadership presence. If you neglect this aspect of your writing, you’re neglecting a powerful aspect of your message.
Look back at those three words. Which of your conjured personalities would you rather work with? Dine with? Learn from? Which might you trust most?
When you finish reading this, check out some text from your own environment — a newspaper article, a magazine ad, a colleague’s report, an email. What kinds of voices do you encounter? Notice how that influences your responses as you read.
Then consider: what (subconscious) impressions are your readers forming about you as they read your words?
I recommend taking a few minutes to “listen” to your pages before you send them off. Pay attention to the text itself, and to the typefaces you choose—they can enhance or detract from your message. They’re the visual side of your verbal presence.
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