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Brochure Design Is Keeping Small Business Owners Down

Forget the tri-fold brochure, educate your prospects with a marketing kit that tells your entire story and more.

By John Jantsch

I got another one of those calls the other day...Can you make me a brochure?" Many business owners have been sold on the notion that they need a tri-fold brochure or they are not in business. Forget it...everybody's got one and no one uses it.

Your potential clients need an education. They need to know how you are different. (The typical tri-fold brochure simply confirms that you are the same.)

Every small business should create the following pieces of information and format them in a way that allows them be printed inexpensively and updated often.

1. A pocket folder

A multi-use workhorse, this piece alone, if designed well, can send the message that you are in business to stay. (This one will cost a little but it has many uses)

2. A template

This should be a professionally printed piece that carries your logo and contact information but is different than your letterhead. This is the base piece then for the following pages that insert into your pocket folder.

+ The Difference Page Hit them with how you are different and shower them with benefits of doing business with you. Don't tell them what you do. I like to keep this one to the top 3 or 4 things that you do that your target market will value.

+ A list of services Okay, now tell them what you do or what you offer.

+ Case Studies Pick representative clients or industries and outline how your product or service solved someone else's challenge. People learn in different ways and case studies allow them to see themselves getting relief. I think this format works well. State the situation, the problem, your solution, the result.

+ Testimonials Get quotes from real live clients and create a page titled - "See what others have to say about us."

+ Process Description Show them how you do what you do. Create detailed checklist and flow charts that show them how you keep your promise. In many cases you have these anyway but by making them part of your marketing you can demonstrate how much more professional your organization is. These also help you justify why you charge a premium for your services. Many people underestimate how much really goes into delivering a quality product or service. So show them.

+ Your Story Many companies have interesting or even gut wrenching histories. Tell them your story in an open, honest, and entertaining way and you will win their hearts as well as their heads.

All of the above pieces can, in many cases, be word processed files that are laser printed onto the template I described above. You can learn even more about how to use this unique tool here

This format allow for very inexpensive printing and a great deal of flexibility when you need to update, change or even personalize your magnificent marketing materials.

Brochure Design Templates

StockLayouts - Agency quality templates and layouts for stationary, business cards, flyers and more.

LogoWorks - Let a group of talented designers create a high impact business logo for you in about 48 hours. The best thing here is that you have a wide variety of styles to choose from.

~~~~~

John Jantsch is the owner of Jantsch Communications, a marketing consulting firm located in Kansas City, Mo. He is the creator of Duct Tape Marketing, a fully-customizable turn-key marketing system. You can reach him at 816-561-3931 or john@ducttapemarketing.com

You may reprint and distribute this article freely as long as you print it in its entirety including the author's bio.