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Worn Out Brochure Design Is Keeping Small Business Owners Down
Copyright 2004 John Jantsch
I got another one of those calls the other day...Can you
make me a brochure?" Many business owners have been sold on
the notion that they need a tri-fold brochure or they are
not in business. Forget it...everybody's got one and no one
uses it.
Your potential clients need an education. They need to know
how you are different. (The typical tri-fold brochure
simply confirms that you are the same.)
Every small business should create the following pieces of
information and format them in a way that allows them be
printed inexpensively and updated often. I like to call
this approach, the Marketing Kit. Your marketing kit starts
with several professionally printed pieces that are the
framework for up to 10 or 12 different educational
documents. The core components are:
1. A pocket folder - A multi-use workhorse, this piece
alone, if designed well, can send the message that you are
in business to stay. (This one will cost a little but it
has many uses)
2. A marketing template - This should be a professionally
printed piece that carries your logo and contact
information but is different than your letterhead. This is
the base piece then for the following pages that insert
into your pocket folder. Your actual marketing files can be
MSWord type documents that are laser printed. This gives
you the ability to change and update your content and also
allows you to tailor your marketing kit content to specific
prospects.
Some combination of the following pages should be created
for your marketing kit.
+ The Difference Page - Hit them with how you are different
and shower them with benefits of doing business with you.
Don't tell them what you do. I like to keep this one to the
top 3 or 4 things that you do that your target market will
value. Think benefits that are unique
+ A list of services - Okay, now tell them what you do or
what you offer.
+ Case Studies - Pick representative clients or industries
and outline how your product or service solved someone
else's challenge. People learn in different ways and case
studies allow them to see themselves getting relief. I
think this format works well. State the situation, the
problem, your solution, the result. Over time you can
collect more and more of these and draw upon the ones that
fit an industry or problem that in relevant to your
prospect.
+ Testimonials - Get quotes from real live clients and
create a page titled - "See what others have to say about
us." These quotes can be some of the strongest selling
tools you have. New technologies make it easy to create
audio and video testimonials too.
+ Process Description - Show them how you do what you do.
Create detailed checklist and flow charts that show them
how you keep your promise. In many cases you have these
anyway but by making them part of your marketing you can
demonstrate how much more professional your organization
is. These also help you justify why you charge a premium
for your services. Many people underestimate how much
really goes into delivering a quality product or service.
So show them.
+ Your Story - Many companies have interesting or even gut
wrenching histories. Tell them your story in an open,
honest, and entertaining way and you will win their hearts
as well as their heads.
All of the above pieces can, in many cases, be word
processed files that are laser printed onto the template I
described above. You can learn even more about how to use
this unique tool here
This format allow for very inexpensive printing and a great
deal of flexibility when you need to update, change or even
personalize your magnificent marketing materials.
Want to quickly create your own magnificent marketing
materials. Join me as I coach up to 10 other small business
owners through the process of creating marketing materials
that educate and sell. Once a week for 4 weeks we will meet
via teleconference to create and critique your written
marketing kit content based on the above article. Each
participant will also receive a workbook, feedback and
real-life example marketing kits produced by John Jantsch
for his clients. Find out more by sending an email to
mailto:john@ducttapemarketing.com?subject=Marketing_Kit
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John Jantsch is a marketing coach and creator of the Duct
Tape Marketing System. You can get more information about
the Duct Tape System and download your free copy of How To
Create the Ultimate Small Business Marketing System in 7
Simple Steps by visiting http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com
More articles by John Jantsch - http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/John-Jantsch-89/
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