Brochures – Necessary Evil or Effective Sales Tools?
What does your brochure say about your company (if you’re not there to explain it)?
So if a brochure is supposed to do the talking for you after you’ve left the sales meeting, do you feel comfortable with what your brochure is saying? Or do you feel the need to explain the brochure to your prospective client?
Talking to a brochure is one thing. Explaining what the copy is trying to say or what the images are supposed to convey, another.
Often, brochures are an afterthought. Simply a listing of a company’s services with little about the real information your prospective clients are looking for – can this company really solve my business issue or personal need?
So what kind of a brochure is right for you? And how do you get your brochure read by your prospect?
First, it is important to understand where your brochure or leaflet fits into the selling process. Is the brochure to be used as a leave-behind, a point-of-sales piece or a sales support tool? The answers to these questions will dictate the type and length of copy or design elements used to communicate the message.
A travel agent, for example, should look to motivate its prospective client with images that convey the perceived need to getaway to faraway places. Thereby making it difficult for the potential customer not to pickup the brochure.
A professional services firm, on the other hand, needs to present a value proposition in a concise, easy to understand manner up front using a strong headline or title.
The cover of this piece should entice the reader to look inside with a title that conveys a strong selling point that articulates the service differentiator(s).
The headline should signal to the prospective client that this is not just another piece of generic collateral, but a brochure containing relevant and useful information about a service that can provide value to their business.
Copy length and layout is also important.
Copy should be long enough to explain the product or service thoroughly. Good copy tells the product or service story, with an intro, story development and a conclusion (which should take the form of a strong call to action).
It is good practice to make your copy, regardless of length, easy to read by using short paragraphs and sentences. Readers have a tendency to scan a brochure first. And if the text is long and unbroken, there is a good chance they will choose not to read the content.
Design of the physical layout should take into account how the brochure will be distributed. For example, if the piece is to be used for direct mail, it might be a good idea to make sure the format can be mailed at bulk rates, assuming proper space for content.
Creating a brochure that is useful to your client beyond the first read is also a good way to make sure your piece is kept instead of quickly discarded.
The travel agent might want to include a map of local hot spots in the piece. While the professional services firm could include a list of tips on tax planning for the coming tax year. Both provide a reason for the potential client to keep your brochure past the first read and therefore extend the useful life of your sales piece.
Last but certainly not least, the copy should build to the conclusion, or the call to action. Part of the call to action is giving ample space to your contact and purchase information. Make it as easy as possible for the prospective customer to take the next important step… buying your product.
While brochures certainly aren’t as sexy as some of the new marketing tactics and tools out there today, very few businesses can do without an effective brochure. And believe it or not, brochures have their place in today’s multi-channel marketing mix.
Just make sure to think “effective sales tool,” and leave the “necessary evil” moniker to accounting.
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