Is Your Brochure Creating Collateral Damage?
Feb 23rd, 2009 by barrylaub
Have you noticed that many professionals spend a great deal of time and money on collateral literature? They hire a graphic artist and a copywriter to put their masterpiece together. They spend hours discussing design and colors.
The finished product is this four color trifold brochure. It tells the history of the business with all the services and features provided. This truly conveys a professional image that one is proud to hand out.
Have you ever received one of these brochures? I am sure that you have. Did this piece of work motivate you to buy? Did you read it from cover to cover? Most likely the answer is no.
You accepted it graciously and wanted to know how this service or product would make you money or save you money. Somewhere in the brochure it was mentioned but it did not stand out, nor was it compelling. In fact you never even read it before putting it on your desk.
If this sounds familiar, what has been accomplished? I call it collateral damage. The objective to grab the interest of the prospect failed and you are told that it will be read. If there is interest they will get back to you.
Your objective should have been to uncover the needs of the prospect and demonstrate what is in it for him/her. The hot buttons can only be hit when the prospect tells you what they are. Literature, though nice, does not accomplish the objective unless it is uniquely customized for the prospect.
You would be better served spending more time on relationship building; more time on presentation and discovery skills; more time promoting your expertise and less money and time creating pretty brochures that are about you. The result would be less collateral damage.
