One of my specialisations is creating custom-built templates, and I get this question asked all the time, more specifically at the start of most presentation or report projects. For example, many clients want me to work on a presentation that has a large number of slides and I tell them that if I firstly create a template, it’ll save me time and the client money, while we get the most brand-accurate result.
Also, the client gets to take the template home for future use! That’s once of the things I always offer as a bonus.
Although the answer to this question can change depending on the project and the client, the basis is always the same. Although templates can be created for most types of software, this article focuses on Word and PowerPoint. So here it goes…
A custom-built template becomes an artefact of your brand:
I am sure you remember the day when you contacted a designer to create a logo for you. There was a lot of effort, back-and-forth communication and work behind the scenes to get the perfect logo that represent your business. Well, creating branded documents and presentations is just as important. Now, we all know that PowerPoint and Word come fresh from the box with some nice-looking templates, but I can assure you that these do not represent your brand. It is ideal, if not imperative, that every document that goes from your business to a client (or potential client) looks and behaves the same way. As we all know, a strong brand is a successful brand.
A template is a lot more than a pretty background:
A well-built template goes far beyond a document that looks pretty. Besides what it is visible at the moment you open and start working with a template, there are lots of elements that are hidden in the background waiting for you to use them. These elements are also built specifically for the template in question. These include: a built-in colour scheme, fonts dedicated for specific content, content level styles (depending on Word styles and PowerPoint placeholders), the way charts, SmartArt, images, links, placeholders, layouts, table of contents, cross references and front covers, to name a few, will be automated and look and behave exactly the same every time.
A good template ensures that all documents and presentations look the same:
In a nutshell, a strong brand has credibility, and your documents and presentations are part of your brand. That says it all!
It saves you (and your employees) time and money:
A custom-built template is put together within PowerPoint and Word similarly to how you create a presentation, but they are saved in a different format that allows the software to call up a pre-packaged and customisable product, in which all the design and branding work has already been taken care of and it works every time!
Your users can call up the template and build their own documents and presentations, instead of having to start from scratch. They can pick layouts and pre-built elements, so they don’t have to create them themselves. Again, this helps for consistency throughout the document and among other documents.
It goes without saying that once a template is delivered to the client, there must be some sort of training in place to ensure the template is used to company standards. It is usually a quick session and the most satisfying result is that users seem happy to learn that they have a new resource such as this.
So, what is the outcome?
A well-built template translates into reduced time and financial cost for you and your business. With branded documents and presentation templates built and set in place, you will be able to turn around presentations and reports quickly, meeting deadlines and allowing you and your staff to focus on the most important part: the content.
Of course, there will always be scenarios where you need a bespoke document and presentation, though these can work as a template of their own, having the same functionality and ease of use.
Would you like to know more about custom-built templates and how they can benefit your business and brand? Would you like to see some samples? Feel free to contact me or send me a private message via LinkedIn.
Until next time.
