As a salesperson, the ability to show a prospective customer something is much more powerful than simply telling them about it. But you can’t always bring your product or service in person and display how it works. In these scenarios, a visually compelling sales booklet is the best alternative.
What is a Sales Booklet?
A sales booklet – also commonly referred to as a sales brochure – is a physical document that you hand to prospects as you walk them through a sales pitch or conversation. It typically includes high-quality imagery of the products you’re selling, as well as technical explanations in regards to features and components.
A good sales booklet is concise, yet detailed. It’s intended to complement other direct selling techniques – not to replace in-person sales altogether. When used well, it becomes an integral element of the conversion funnel.
5 Tips for Designing a Sales Booklet
The great thing about sales booklets is that you can design them yourself and then send off the digital files to a printer who can bring your vision to life. But in order to make this process a success, you’ll need to go about it in the right way.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Design a Compelling Cover
The cover of it is important for a number of reasons. But above all else, it sets the expectation and directly influences first impressions.
Think about it this way: When you set a sales booklet down on the table, it immediately grabs your prospect’s attention. And even though he may not open it up right away, he’s going to occasionally glance at it as you deliver your sales pitch. If the cover is strategically designed, it will deliver a powerful statement. If it misses the mark, so will your attempt to close the sale.
- Choose the Right Binding
If you’re like most people, you don’t know much about binding. However, it is one of the more important elements in the printing process. While you can choose from any number of binding styles, saddle stitch comes highly recommended.
According to PrintingCenterUSA, “Saddle stitch is when single sheets of paper are printed on both sides, collated in page number order, folded in half and then stapled through the fold by a saddle stitch stapler. Saddle stitch binding is one of the most common binding methods for booklet manufacturing.”
Other methods of binding include perfect bound, spiral, side sewn and center sewn binding. While each method has its own set of pros, saddle stitch will provide the most bang for your buck.
- Be Strategic With Layout
Think through the layout of your sales booklet. Do you want it carefully organized by product type? Or are you more interested in putting the top products at the beginning so that prospects see them first? There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer. Just make sure you give some thought to how the booklet is organized.
- Remove Distractions
If you study an underperforming sales booklet, you’ll discover that it typically misses the mark in a number of key areas. But in almost every situation, there are too many distractions.
When it comes to designing a sales booklet, the old KISS acronym – which stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid – rings true. Remove distractions and focus on the elements that matter. Simplification is best. Compelling visuals always perform better than text. Whenever possible, you should show rather than tell.
- Make it Cost-Effective
A good brochure is cost-effective. You want it to be something you can give out freely without worrying about the expense. For best results, shop around and find a printing partner that offers competitive pricing. An online printing service is usually the best way to go. (Note: Count the expense into your customer acquisition cost and you’ll find that these booklets are worth every penny they cost you).
Adding it All Up
It might initially seem like a small and insignificant element of the larger process, but the reality is that a properly designed sales booklet is integral to sales success. When viewed in the context of the classic conversion funnel, it helps close the gap between the interest/desire and action portions of the funnel. It’s a vital part of the process.
