Why brochures that are done right are one of the most important marketing tools for your company

A brochure is just as important as your most basic marketing tool - your business card. Your business card introduces you as an individual and your company brochure introduces whatever it is that you want to sell. The look and feel of the brochure is every bit as important as the content. The design should reflect the visual feel of whom you are and communicate with, reach and move a prospective customer who, you must assume, knows nothing about your company. It must be easy to read with a clear focus on what it has to communicate through the use of images and copy.

It is your opportunity to create a lasting impression. Make sure that it is a good one.

Quiet Storm has identified the 4 key types of brochure and what you should be achieving from each type.

Corporate brochures sell the credibility and capability of your company to establish trust with your prospective customers.

A corporate brochure enables you to project your credentials in the most positive light and outline the benefits to anyone using your company. It should highlight your strengths and deal with any queries that a prospective customer may have. It should leave your prospect with a lasting positive impression of your company (or brand) and a desire to know more about you. It must sell your company, primarily to prospective customers but can also be used on suppliers or when recruiting.

Sales brochures sell the benefits your prospective customers will experience if they choose your product

A sales brochure provides focus on a single product and the relevant options available. It 'shows and tells' your prospective customer why they need it and the benefits they will have in purchasing your product rather than that of the competition. It should leave your prospect with a lasting positive impression of your product and a desire to know more about it. It must sell the product and the importance of your brand to your prospective customers.

Product or service directories that outline your portfolio in an easy to use format so that your customers know what products or services you sell and can find them quickly

Product or service directories must provide the reference material your customer needs to know when making a purchasing decision. It should be a comprehensive technical manual detailing your main product or service specifications and include any diagrams, photos, etc that help your prospect to choose the right product or service.
Most important of all it should be designed with your customer in mind - how will they want to use it, what ways do they want to search for product or service.
It must enable your customer to find the product or service in the manner, which is most obvious to them, as a result they are more likely to use your directory when placing an order.

Financial Reports that project a positive image to stakeholders and potential investors

Financial reports are often a legal requirement but have the power to present your company in a positive manner even if the content isn't such good news. They can project your aims and ambitions and reflect the image of the company you want to be. The statistical information can be presented in an interesting and graphical manner so that the dynamics of what you are about are delivered in a consistent message on every page.
It must provide the reader with the understanding of your company's current position and sell the destination that you seek to achieve.

Why you can't mix and match these brochure types

When companies try to combine these functions with a 'one brochure fits all', they often end up with a confusing document that you can be certain is difficult to read. If it isn't being read then it can't do its job.

An acceptable combination of two or more types is often seen in a corporate folder brochure. This works best if the folder carries the corporate information and focuses on selling the brand (i.e. the benefits of dealing with you as a company). The pocket then holds either product or service specific information, it can also hold special deals, sales sheets, price lists, etc.

How and when to use your brochure to gain the maximum impact

An introductory mailer - This will need a powerful sales letter to accompany it so that the prospect has a reason to take the time to read it.

A 'leave behind' following your initial sales call - Even if you have mailed out a copy in advance of your meeting, it is always a good idea to leave another copy as a reminder.

A response mechanism - Fulfiling requests from potential clients for literature, either in response to an ad or a phone enquiry.

The key to the successful use of your brochure is planning and research, find out what works and why!

1) Research the competition. Get hold of your competitor's brochures, pick out the points and techniques which you feel best communicate the sales message you have.

2) Determine your budget - this will depend on:

Quality - This can be based upon the quality of brochure your competition has produced. If your prospective client has to present their research to a higher authority how would you want your brochure to compare?

Quantity - The quantity should be based upon how many you will realistically use within a year (or to sell the product you have - for instance, we produce a brochure for a housing developer who typically only has ten houses at each development, we find that fifty brochures are all that they usually require.)

3) Determine what you want your brochure to achieve. Listed above are the four main types of brochure but there are many kinds of brochures and their look and feel are completely determined by the job they must do. Keep your brochure focused on the main points of the message you want to communicate.

The four key points on building brochures that sell.

1. Attention

Getting the attention of your prospective customer by using colour and creative graphics do this the best. Do not make the front of your brochure wordy. In fact, keep it to one or two main headlines. The headline should be brief and effective such as, 'Do you have too much month at the end of the money?' This headline is simple and will strike home with someone who has a hard time budgeting their finances. Remember, at this point you are just trying to get their attention. If you overwhelm them right away with lots of text, they will not want to bother picking up your brochure much less reading it.

2. Interest

To keep a prospect's attention and interest you need to quickly show that you understand the reader's problem. Once the reader can say, 'Hey, they are talking about me,' you have peaked their interest in your product or service. Then show them ways that your company can better their situation. Keep your text light and easy to read. Too much text can clutter your piece. Always remember this rule of thumb, if your brochure is too hard to read it won't be read.

3. Demand

An appetiser is a small taste of something to make you crave the main meal. Your brochure should be treated the same way. Give the prospect just enough information so they crave more. Leave some things unanswered so they have to call and find out more information. Touch lightly on the main topics, do not let the brochure tell everything. A mistake people often make is designing their brochure to be a sales representative. A brochure is not a sales representative. A brochure should simply get people excited enough to want to inquire for more information. It should whet a prospect's appetite, not fill them completely.

4. Action

If your brochure has done its part up to this point, you should have legitimate prospects wanting to learn more about your company. You must now tell them clearly how they can go about taking that next step. Also, do your best to provide a variety of options they can take advantage of. For example, provide a phone number and a Web site address. Alternatively, print a form for them to fill out and send in for more information. Bottom line, make it as easy as possible for them to take that next step such as a toll free number, a prepaid business reply form, or directions to a form they can fill out on your Web site. All of these can help expedite turning prospects into customers. Lastly, you only need to print your company's contact information once. Why? Because it is more professional and prospects don't need to be blasted by your phone number all over the piece or printed in a large font. After all, a brochure is just one piece of paper, not a billboard that people are passing at 60m.p.h. If they are interested, they will find your number.

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