Developing Effective Sales Brochures
By Wendi Lam Thourson, Manager of Marketing Communications
Winter 2002 (12/01)
Would you like to promote your business, skills or experience to potential clients? Have you ever thought of creating a flyer or brochure, but just don’t know how to begin the process? This article may help you get started.

A sales brochure should be more than just a depository of information on paper. It should serve a clear purpose and function as an advocate for you and/or the services you provide. In many cases, the purpose is to increase your client base. The following process may help you improve the effectiveness of your publication.

The first step is to think about what you want your brochure to do. The second step is to evaluate your services in terms of features and benefits and decide the best way to present the information to your audience.

Critical First Steps
Ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish with my brochure?” If the answer is to get more customers, think about specific features that distinguish you from other reporters or firms. Are you more accurate, dependable or readily available? Do you have special credentials, expertise in specific areas or an impressive client list? Are you faster than others? Which of these features are most valuable to the intended audience? This becomes what should be emphasized in the brochure.

Next, consider listing the features, benefits and advantages of your firm. This will help you put the right slant on the text copy you write for your brochure. A feature is a characteristic of your product or service. A benefit is described as the dollars, time saved and enhanced or reduction of risk. An advantage can be described as what this means to your customer.

Here is an example of each:
Product/Service: Soft drink stand, in large office lobby.
Feature: Our stand is located right outside your office door.
Benefit: You won’t have to travel far and take a lot of time if you’re thirsty.
Advantage: You’ll no longer have to leave your office, get on the elevator and go the vending machines on the third floor when you’re thirsty. It’s right here waiting for you!

In the example above, the advantage speaks in a language the audience understands. By putting “two and two together” you have translated what this means to them specifically!

Working With Words and Images
Gather elements to be included in the brochure. This might include information important enough to include on a business card, features, benefits and advantages, testimonials, logos or visual graphics. Be consistent with the use of visual graphics and logos. If you have artwork such as a stenowriter or gavel on your business card, use it on your brochure and all other communications pieces you develop (including transcript covers). If you have a visual identity through the use of color ink or paper color, use that color with all your pieces. Maybe your identity is in the placement of these components in a specific place on a page. Again, be consistent and make certain they are displayed the same way on all pieces.

Creating the Brochure
If your brochure is going in an envelope, would it be better to create a tri-paneled piece or a one-sided flyer folded into thirds? Put yourself in the shoes of your prospect. What would attract his/her attention and be the least amount of work to get to the number one piece of information you want them to see? Understand that your audience may only look at your brochure for 1-3 seconds. With this in mind, what is the first thing you want them to see? Make it most dominant. Ways to do this include making the font larger or bolder, using a different color, a visual graphic or picture. This all depends on what makes sense in at your unique piece. Then ask yourself, what is the second thing you want them to see? Third? etc. Going through this process will ensure your information is displayed in a proper hierarchy.

Here are a few quick recommendations in producing your brochure:
• Do not use more than two fonts. Preferably use a serif (with “feet” on such letters as “t” and “f”) and san serif (without “feet”).
• Do not type paragraphs of text in all capital letters. They are hard to read and tiring to the eye.
• Use consistent font sizes for all headers and like components.

Finally, run your piece through the AIDA formula. Does your brochure attract attention, interest, desire and action to contact you? Invite the opinions of others. Explain to them the purpose of your brochure and who will be receiving it and ask for constructive feedback.

Now that you’ve spent a lot of time and money creating your brochure, do you have a plan when potential clients contact you? Keeping a follow-up sheet handy by the phone is a way to be prepared for their call. It may include additional information about you and your services or questions you would like to ask them with a space provided to record answers. Seize this opportunity to ask them how they heard about you or what is important to them in acquiring services such as the ones you provide. Be sure to secure their name and contact information and ask if they know anyone else who might be interested in your services.

It only makes sense to make your brochure work as hard as you do!