PDF portfolios are nothing new of course, and while we’re certainly not breaking any new ground with our work in this area, it’s all about perspective and how these tools are used. A PDF portfolio can be loaded onto a tablet and shown to a client without the need for wifi, something that we find causes slight, though annoying delays when we’re meeting clients at their places of business instead of our office. (what’s the wifi password again??) A PDF can be linked to from your website, loaded into a variety of different portfolio websites, posted on your LinkedIn profile, emailed directly to clients, or even printed into sweet little coffee table books or photo books with relative ease.
Now, the idea here isn’t to suggest that you do a PDF portfolio instead of updating your website or anything, but to add this great tool to your workflow when introducing a new client to your business or discussing specific scenarios. It should also be noted that we’re not huge fans of cheesy flip books, or most other online PDF viewers, and that we’re talking about nice clean PDF files, designed for your business with a professional look and feel, and consistent branding and messaging.
If your business is mobile and you visit clients at their businesses or meet at coffee shops, this is a great way to present your work in a really organized and professional way, while reinforcing your brand at every step of the way. Even if you’re not in a “creative business” (though we’d argue that ALL businesses should consider themselves as such, but that’s a rant for another time) these have application, and you could craft a little journey to take people on, introducing them to the services you provide, and walking them through the experience of working with your business.
Here’s a few examples of what we’re talking about:
Admittedly, we’re a little geeky about these things, and get fired up at the prospect of setting a client up with a slick portfolio layout to express the great crafts, products and services, but give this some consideration as you’re thinking about how you introduce new prospective clients to your business. We’re pretty sure you’ll find some great value in having this in your tackle box indeed.