The development of professional and promotional business collateral is essential to elicit follow-ups and eventually making those critical early sales, but it can be a little tricky.
Here are a few tips to avoid marketing and business collateral that is forgotten as quickly as it is received.
Don’t use templates ::
Everyone uses templates. Stand out of the crowd with something different. Consider changing the orientation of the card, rounding the edges, adding a glossy front and back, print the card in full gradient color, use your imagination.
Don’t order enormous print runs ::
There is always a discount for quantity when you are ordering a large print run, but consider running a number of shorter print runs. Each of these shorter print runs could showcase the company’s values in different lights, offer time-sensitive quarterly promotions, or just stay up-to-date with changing addresses, phone numbers, etc. The quantity discount from the printer is negligible when you consider the freedom of more, smaller runs.
Target your collateral ::
Often business owners will sell into a variety of markets and to a variety of customers. In order to make their message reach this wide audience they will often generalize. This becomes generic and looses all impact. Instead, treat your business collateral like any other marketing messaging medium. Target your message to the specific market or buyer. Consider having sets of business cards for trade shows, letterhead specifically for internal use, and separate sales brochures for distributors and the end buyers.
JDM offers a "corporate identity package" for young companies experiencing a corporate identity crisis. It includes a suite of activities including:
- Logo enhancements :: For that professional look that will build confidence and a Brand image
- Business card :: Designed to elicit a follow-up
- Letterhead :: Used for all official documents including invoices, bids, corporate memorandums, reports, etc.
- Boilerplate :: This boilerplate stands as your official "elevator pitch" and it can be a lot more difficult to articulate than you might think.
Your business collatoral can drive business, but it can be a little tricky and that's where JDM comes in.
