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Sales Literature: Brochures and other tools to help boost your revenue
David Rothman | dr@davidrothman.com | 703-370-6540 | Readable Web sites and other coordinated editorial services

Six rules for promo literature

Rule One: Don't stint on the appearance of Brochuresthe literature you send out. David will work with a good designer to get your message across. Aesthetics will matter more in promo literature than on the Web. That's one reason to use a quality printer.

Rule Two: Decide on your grand goal. If you're aiming at new prospects, figure out why they would want your product or service. Then let everything in your literature address their needs and concerns. You may decide you need a whole series of pamphlets to serve the needs of different markets.

Rule Three: As early as possible, decide which format would be best--a postcard, letter, short flier, a long booklet or a combination. Follow-ups in different formats and media can help. You might want to start with a postcard mentioning a Web site address, then wait a few months and send out a pamphlet or longer booklet.

Rule Four: Put catchy facts right on the cover or at least on an opening page of your literature. Of course the openers needn't give the whole story away. Morsels of fact can spur people to read the whole.

Rule Five: As with newsletters, you should proof, proof and proof. No one is infallible. Especially in the case of short, widely distributed circulars, where typos will stand out, as many people as possible should look for mistakes.

Rule Six: Do a good bridge between bricks and clicks. Remember, a short pamphlet or even a post card can one way to get people to a Web site for more details. Even a postcard in some instances can do the job, especially if prospects may be concerned about opening strange mail.
You're great at pitching new prospects in person or over the phone. But you're selling a complex product. How to win people over with the details? Web sites, email lists and paper newsletters can work together to help you reach new prospects. But nothing can beat a good, snappy piece of sales literature as a way to reinforce a face-to-face meeting and send prospects to your paper newsletter and your Web site. Pamphlets and brochures can also back up the notes that you send after pitching new prospects on the phone.

David will help you get everything in synch--so that, for example, your sales literature can direct prospects to specific pages within a Web site for more details. Merely pointing them to the main address of your site won't always do the trick. As quickly as possible, send people to the pages that serve their own needs. Say, you're in radio advertising. A diamond dealer will care more about a retail-related case history than he will about the results your station achieved for an insurance broker.

In working on your promo literature (not The Great Gatsby but practical material for commerce), David will typically do the following:

  • Get to know the basic of your business and your present marketing efforts. No forms! David will talk to you and read your existing literature and even relevant news clips.

  • Help you decide the audience and format of the literature. Selling a complex product? Then you might want a short pamphlet for direct mail, along with an extremely detailed booklet for interested prospects. What's more, you may even want to experiment with a mass mailing of a postcard to send people to your Web site. More about direct mail later on.

  • Ask to see competitors' literature--and find out what you like and dislike.

  • Work with a talented designer to come up with the basic look and feel of the literature (including such details as the best paper for the job).

  • Make certain that the vision David shares with the designer will indeed further your sales and marketing objectives.

  • Do the actual copywriting and submit the results to you for proofing.

  • Send the results on to the designer and then make certain you're happy with the finished product.

  • Meanwhile consult with a direct mail company and obtain written estimates as to the costs of reaching ideal prospects. A company David deals with has millions of names, address and phone numbers on file--business names, individuals' names, you name it, in scads of consumer and business categories.

Costs

They will vary considerably. A designer-typesetter may charge anywhere from a $150 for a small postcard to $1,500 and up for a long booklet. David's costs will typically be $50-$75 an hour, depending on the volume of work. Caps can be negotiated ahead of time.