How often does a prospect asking for a brochure make your salesperson cringe? It happens more often than you’d think!

They cringe because, though you may find your brochure compelling, sales realizes very few people actually READ it. Company and product brochures are a very necessary (prospects expect them), and potentially expensive (printing cost alone can break the bank), part of any marketing mix and it's a shame they are also so often found to be so wasteful.

It doesn't have to be that way. Consider these three different perspectives when developing this age-old marcomm piece and stop the waste:

• The Customer Perspective. Let your customers sell your products! Design your brochure as a compilation of different case studies that umbrella your different products and services and talk about your company. As we've said before, Case Studies are the most powerful tool available to both sales and marketing. Imagine weaving this element into your Company Brochure. You're now removing yourself from the ME, ME, ME trap that we often fall into as marketers, and speaking to the heart of what prospects care about-how your products/services can take care of their needs as told by customers who have experienced it for themselves. Now that's powerful!
  
  
• The Experience Perspective. Whether you're selling a product or service, when it comes to closing the sale it rarely comes down to just what it does or includes. Most customers are more interested in other features such as what it delivers, its usability, how it works, and most importantly how that experience will benefit them. Why not design a brochure that gives prospects that experience first hand? Consider a brochure that includes a product demonstration or webinar (covering the what, why, and how of the problem you're solving or benefit you're providing) on a CD-ROM, DVD, or as a link to an online experience. Allowing your customers to jump in and see what your product or service is like helps you make a connection with them, and gets them personally involved with it.
  
  
• The Target Perspective. Remember your audience! It seems like an obvious statement, but we all know how easy it is to get caught up in writing beautiful copy and marrying that with a striking design. While those are important elements, is that what your target audience really cares about? Are they engineers that are more interested in technical details, or are they level C executives who only want the bottom line? Make sure you incorporate a design that delivers impact by providing the information that hits upon exactly what your audience most wants.
  
  Would you be better served to develop a multi-page booklet that includes technical information and samples? Or are you better off developing a tri-fold brochure that quickly delivers the bottom-line benefits for your customer? Considering your audience as you choose a design for your brochure will often spark a unique idea that sets you apart!

Brochures can be very expensive to design and create. Yet as marketers and sales professionals we understand their importance in our ongoing efforts. Delivering a brochure that sets you apart from the competition begins with looking at it from a new point of view. Not only will you be able to deliver the first impression you've been looking for, you'll also be creating a powerful tool that will be used throughout your sales process!

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The Sales and Marketing Toolkits BUNDLED contains:

• Over 60 sales and marketing templates (DOC, XLS, PPT, and PDFs)
  
  
• Loads of "how-to" articles and examples
  
  
• 8 Training sessions (MP3 audio files) for your computer or iPod