Even in this day of websites, many customers want to look at a brochure or other form of hard copy. It's important therefore that your brochure tells the customer all they need to know.
*It can be handed to the customer or used for direct mailing
*It gives the customer much more detail
*Confirms what you've discussed
*Gives your business credibility and status
*Can help break the ice before you meet the customer
The elements of a successful brochure:
#1 It must have a call to action - You must ask the customer to do something after reading your brochure (particularly if you use it for mailing) - place an order - request more information - arrange an appointment.
Make them an offer they can't refuse - an early-bird discount - a special price - a never to be repeated offer. It needs to have a Free-phone number or a tear off coupon or an enclosed order form.
Remember - this is a sales document, its purpose is to get you more orders not just to fill peoples head with information.
#2 Think about the customer - Your brochure must talk in terms of the customer's interests - not yours. (Don't let your ego run away with you) It must explain how it solves the customer's problems and has benefits for him or her.
#3 Testimonials and endorsements - Include all the statements that other people have said about your product or service. They must be real statements giving the persons name and their organisation. People wont believe statements such as - "This service is second to none" - Sales Director
#4 Specialise - If you're targeting a particular market, your brochure needs to reassure the customer that you understand and have expertise in that market. You then need to give examples of how you've solved specific problems in that market.
#5 Make them want to read more - The front of your brochure must have a headline that grabs the customer and encourages them to read more. It needs to include a strong benefit or a way to solve a problem. For example - I might produce a headline for one of my brochures that says - "Customer Service Training for the Retail Industry" It would be far better if I went to the heart of the problem and used the headline - "How to stop customers walking out of your store and buying from one of your competitors."
Think about the problems that your customers face and how your product or service resolves them - then write your headline. The most powerful words you can use in a headline are - "How To". It immediately grabs the reader's attention if it's relevant to them. Other great words to use are - "Free" - "You" - "Secrets of" - "Discover" - "New" - "Announcing."
The headline needs to be:
*Believable *Appealing to the emotions *Not more than sixteen words *In upper and lower case letters, not all caps *In quotation marks *Easy to understand
#6 Make it easy to read - People want to gather information quickly and aren't willing to plough through lots of text - use bullet points. You want a clean uncluttered look. Also - watch out for jargon, buzz words and technical terms. Remember the selling acronym - KISS - keep it simple stupid.
#7 Doesn't need to be expensive - It obviously makes sense to use good quality paper and it's best to stick to white or cream semi-gloss or glossy stock. Your brochure needs to feel good in the customer's hands - classy - quality image. It can contain as many pages as you like but why not consider a "one-page" which obviously has two sides.
You could have several "one-pages" produced, each relevant to the market you're targeting. You could also produce individual one for each product or service that you provide. I have searched, frustratingly, through many a brochure trying to find specific information on a product or service.
#8 Laminate - buy a laminator (they're not expensive) and laminate one-sheets or pages from your brochure. They make the information look and feel much better and encourage the customer to hang onto them for longer.
#9 Friendly - Your brochure should give the potential customer the feeling that you're business is friendly and interesting to deal with. Depending on what business you're in, you might want the customer to know that you're also "fun" to deal with.
Don't make your brochure too businesslike even although you're selling a technical product; remember you're communicating to a human being who is primarily driven by their emotions.
It makes sense to build a relationship with a graphic designer who you like and who understands what you're trying to achieve. However, if you want to have more control, there's software you can buy and internet sites where you can create your own stationary.
Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of "How to get More Sales without Selling" This book is packed with practical things that you can do to ? get customers to come to you . Click here now http://www.howtogetmoresales.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
After completing a workshop on personal productivity or time management,... Read More
Recently I wanted a new lawn mower as we have... Read More
Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults.... Read More
Many companies are looking to improve upon the speed, security,... Read More
One disadvantage of selling by telephone is the lack of... Read More
1. Make telephone callsFew things are more terrifying than the... Read More
The USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is based on the assumption... Read More
Do you have 5, 10, or 20 years of sales... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
An area that can become profitable for many businesses in... Read More
Hello everyone, hope your day is going well! I know... Read More
If you have competitors, then you should have at least... Read More
Over the years, many prospects have hidden behind their well-trained... Read More
JOHN DI LEMME on "I Am A Habit"H-A-B-I-T...When 95% of... Read More
ReferralsA substantial part of your business can come from referrals.... Read More
We all have people whom we find difficult. We don't... Read More
Yesterday I received a call from a financial planner named... Read More
Many stores on a budget choose to buy a used... Read More
Its official. The news just came out. Yes, we are... Read More
One of my first internship jobs as a college student... Read More
(Objection handling tips excerpted from Objections! Objections! Objections!)People buy people.... Read More
So it's finally come time to sell the business. After... Read More
Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers... Read More
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
"Hello, is (pause) puh-TREE-shuh home?"So started my weekend lesson in... Read More
While living in the technology age where everything is computerized,... Read More
I am often reminded of the following true story whenever... Read More
Will you do just about anything, including sending out hundreds... Read More
With the dot.com revolution crushing once solid business models on... Read More
Depending upon how much you enjoy writing, writing sales proposals... Read More
A completed communication consists of a sender and a receiver.... Read More
How many of you have a corporate web site? Everybody... Read More
As a professional service provider you face special challenges promoting... Read More
Anyone that works in sales knows just how important it... Read More
There are thousands of books and seminars on how to... Read More
When I first started out as a loan officer, one... Read More
1. Make your reader visualize they have already bought your... Read More
Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers... Read More
Any time a clothing store opens or expands, they must... Read More
Strategies to help produce your brochure, advertisment or direct mail.... Read More
If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned... Read More
For technology companies, service after the sale has emerged on... Read More
It is fairly common for real estate companies and mortgage... Read More
When buying something, you can buy in one of two... Read More
Not all mannequins are made to look like full-grown adults.... Read More
Still more discoveries from the recent studies in behavioral economics:Over-Valuing... Read More
It is a basic tenet of behavioral psychology that people... Read More
Most salespeople I know consider cold calling a dreadful, but... Read More
For the past months, maybe a year, I've been hearing... Read More
Here are four simple things you can do to take... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they... Read More
HANDLING OBJECTIONSSales presentation is not always going to be plain... Read More
I just bought six square pieces of spongy fabric for... Read More
Some businesses flourish while others slowly fade away. There's usually... Read More
Many companies are looking to improve upon the speed, security,... Read More
One disadvantage of selling by telephone is the lack of... Read More
Like the legendary search for the Holy Grail, the cup... Read More
You have all seen them,the sales letters that never ends.... Read More
Direct sales can be your ticket to a profitable home-based... Read More
Neil Rackham turned the world of high-ticket salesmanship on its... Read More
What comes to mind when you think of networking --... Read More
You stand there, in front of your great presentation material,... Read More
The formula for defining a "profession" is similar throughout many... Read More
TELEPHONE TECHNIQUESSelling face to face is different from selling on... Read More
This evaluation is not for the "weak-kneed". Real questions to... Read More
Sales |