We’ve all mastered spell check and style guides. But consistency means going further, to ensure your content and document structure are also in line.
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵
I was reviewing some client work recently where the brief called for prioritizing Solution A while acknowledging Solution B. What I found? The narrative would champion A for pages, then suddenly position B as the “primary recommendation.”
Sound familiar? We see this in proposals, reports, and strategic documents. The fix: make sure your content hierarchy matches your stated priorities from executive summary through to recommendations.
𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆
We know readers scan before they read. Yet how often do we see inconsistent paragraph lengths that create visual chaos, or heavy formatting in one section followed by walls of text in the next?
When you over-format everything, nothing stands out. Your formatting should guide the reader’s eye strategically, not randomly.
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀
Before that client review, run this check:
• Does my argument hold from executive summary through recommendations?
• When I claim something is “critical,” have I provided proportional evidence?
• Is my document design helping a reader understand the content?
Consistency is achievable by everyone, but as the pros we look at so many documents that we can offer an advanced eye that helps everyone.
What consistency blind spots do you catch most often in your reviews?
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