Creating A Brochure

Written by Vann Baker


Continued from page 1

Even if you don't know allrepparttar details of your brochure when getting started, it's a good idea to create a budget. Start with determining how many brochures you will need to use duringrepparttar 135477 next twelve months including mailings and sales meetings. If you have seen a brochure with a similar amount of information and photographs as you need for your brochure, a designer can use it as a model for determining printing and production costs.

Another consideration when designing a brochure is postage. Larger brochures will be more expensive to mail and if you are planning on doing a large mailing as part of your marketing, an oversized brochure may be expensive to mail. Larger brochures don't fare well throughrepparttar 135478 postal system and often end up wrapped around other mail. Brochures which fit in a standard #10 business envelope give yourepparttar 135479 best buy in terms of postage and protection while mailing. Using a business envelope also allows you to mail a cover letter and business card as well.

Updating an existing brochure

I worked with a client once who had sales of over a million dollars a year, but was still using a dated, unsophisticated brochure produced by a printer nearly ten years earlier. While reputation alone helpedrepparttar 135480 company's sales, their brochure was doing very little to promote them as a cutting-edge company to potential customers who had never heard of them.

If you have a brochure you produced a few years ago, it might be a good idea to have your brochure evaluated by a someone outside your company to make sure it projectsrepparttar 135481 image of your company today and sets you apart from your competition. Often, a small company will produce an inexpensive brochure just to have something for a trade show or for telephone inquiries. While short-term needs are fulfilled, not having any kind of long-term plan for a package of coordinated materials will lead to a "hodge-podge."

As a business grows,repparttar 135482 image ofrepparttar 135483 business can outgrowrepparttar 135484 first brochure's image. Often other collateral such as pocket folders, product inserts, etc. are produced at different times by different printers andrepparttar 135485 result is a corporate image that is not coordinated, with different kinds of paper used and ink colors that don't match--not professional at all.

It is tempting to takerepparttar 135486 "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach and leave an existing brochure alone--for years. However, now could also berepparttar 135487 ideal time to produce a truly professional brochure which will set you apart from your competition and give your potential clients something they will keep on their desk to serve as a memory jogger when you do a follow-up call.

Why have a graphic designer involved in creating your brochure?

Many businesses are producing promotional and sales materials internally or are relying on a printer to put a brochure together for them. There's nothing wrong with either of these approaches, provided you haverepparttar 135488 time and expertise to make all graphic design decisions that will produce a sophisticated brochure that's right on target. It's rare to find a printer who has a graphic designer on staff who will put a creative spark in your brochure, and relying on in-house talent doesn't save you money when it actually costs you lost sales.

Using a graphic designer can free you from having to make all decisions about your brochure by yourself and will provide you with an outside perspective on how to communicate to your audience. A designer can provide you not only expertise on typography but can help you with selecting ink and paper and some direction with your brochure and help guide you throughrepparttar 135489 process from start to finish.

In addition to making design decisions, a graphic designer can serve as your project manager and will seerepparttar 135490 brochure from concept through successful completion. Most designers work with several different printers and can provide you with a printer that hasrepparttar 135491 capabilities to print your brochure. If you need help with writing your brochure copy, many designers work with freelance writers and photographers.

Some Parting Advice . . .

Carpenters have a saying, "Measure twice, cut once," which applies to creating your brochure. By defining what your brochure should do and doing some research first, your brochure can be effective, informative and get prospective clients' attention. By utilizing design and printing professionals and by paying close attention to details, you can have a brochure that truly represents your business and is something you can be proud to hand out and mail.

Vann Baker is the president of Design-First, a marketing company specializing in corporate identity and collateral development. Vann has been helping small businesses and Fortune 500 companies to create brochures, newsletters, catalogs, websites and more for over 20 years. www.design-first.com


How to Follow up With Prospects

Written by Andre Plessis


Continued from page 1

The prospect has a vendor already talked to a company and received an offer, but remains inrepparttar prospect database as he hasn't made his mind yet. The goal with these type of prospects is to be atrepparttar 135460 top of their "Vendors to Consider" list when their existing vendor is unable to satisfy their future needs. The prospect already has already a company and is shopping around. He has already received a quote, but remains inrepparttar 135461 prospect database. The goal with these prospects is to convince them that you haverepparttar 135462 right solution atrepparttar 135463 right price. It requires some sales skills. You need to follow up constantly withrepparttar 135464 prospect and find out which his most important factor when consideringrepparttar 135465 choice of a vendor.

The prospect has no immediate or foreseeable need for your products or services. In fact he clearly states that he doesn't know if he needsrepparttar 135466 service. He doesn't seerepparttar 135467 benefits of your products or services, nor does he haverepparttar 135468 budget. You should quickly remove him from your prospect database. Putting efforts into that lead and trying to convince him would be a waste of your time and money. Although this isrepparttar 135469 least desirable response, knowing that is better than being clueless. Avoid futile marketing efforts directed toward prospects that will never result into a sale. Lead Generation Requires Resources and Expertise

Building relationships and maintaining top-of-mind-awareness with qualified prospects through your lead generation efforts is crucial to your success in a highly competitive market. It requires building and maintaining business relationships with your potential customers. It is very important to be aware that you will have to find ways to constantly stay in touch with your prospects in order for them to be reminded of your presence and benefits you have to offer them.

Andre Plessis

Author & Marketing Consultant Savings4Merchants http://savings4Merchants.com Big Marketing Ideas Without The Big Spending! Copyright 2005©



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