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Having a quality brochure makes a positive impression on a
potential
customer. It gives the appearance that you’re serious
about your business.
And it may give you an advantage over competitors who
don’t use brochures.
Printing technology has made big advancements in the last
decade, including high speed, high-resolution color
photocopiers and laser printers.
This has reduced the need for using printing presses and
allows you to print small quantities with less
expense. If you’re printing only a few hundred
brochures, this is the way to go.
If you’re printing in the thousands, you may find it
more economical to
use a printing press. Your per unit cost can drop
significantly.
But print production, especially involving color, is a
complex subject and ignorance can be costly.
“The most important thing a business person should do is
ask a lot of questions,”
says Phil Lewis of Vancouver’s Generation Printing.
“Many small businesses try to design their own brochures
without consulting with a printer or graphic designer.
They don’t understand that what you see on your computer
screen isn’t necessarily what’s going to be printed.
Inevitably, we end up having to fix many of the
customer’s mistakes and charging for it. If they had
consulted us before they started designing, we could’ve
saved them time and money.”
With thirty years experience as a prepress production
specialist and sales rep, Lewis has these suggestions when
creating a brochure:
Hire a graphic designer. It’ll cost you more up front,
but it’ll give your brochure a more professional look
and that gives your customers’ confidence. Shop around.
Contact at
least three designers and ask to see samples of their
work. Get quotes and
compare.
Know your market. Would a glossy, color brochure make that
much difference to your target market? If you’re selling
financial services to wealthy investors, then appearance
counts. But for most small businesses, it’s not worth
the extra cost.
If you can’t afford to hire a designer and are creating
the brochure yourself, ask questions before you prepare a
computer file for printing. Does the printer want the
source file or a portable document file (pdf)? Do you need
to include fonts and linked graphics? If you’re
going to create a pdf, be clear what options the printer
wants you to select before creating it.
BROCHURE FORMAT
Brochures come in a variety of sizes. Probably the most
common format is called
a slim jim. It’s either a letter or legal sized sheet
that’s folded two or three times
vertically. It’s a popular format for small businesses
because it can fit a display rack
or be mailed in a standard number-10 business envelope.
MORE TIPS ON REDUCING YOUR PRINTING COSTS
Don’t include information that can get outdated quickly,
such as prices. Instead
consider creating a price sheet on your computer that you
can quickly update,
print from your desktop printer, and insert inside the
brochure. That way
you don’t have to reprint your brochures every time you
change prices.
If your brochure can fit into the same envelope as your
invoice or other material
you mail to customers, stuff the brochure inside. You save
on postage.
I believe printed brochures are preferable to electronic
versions. They’re easier to
read. However, if you think your prospects are computer
savvy, you might consider
putting a pdf version of your brochure on a diskette or
CD. It’s a novel and
inexpensive way to distribute it.
If you’re not sure how computer literate your target
market is, then you should stick
to a printed brochure.
You can also buy pre-designed brochures sheets for your
desktop printer. You
just add the text and graphics. Paperdirect.com has a good
selection.
HOW TO GET BETTER CUSTOMER RESPONSE FROM
YOUR BROCHURE
Here are some suggestions you should consider.
Make sure your address, phone and fax numbers, website and
e-mail are easy to find.
Give your reader a reason to open the brochure. Start
selling on the cover. And list the benefits your product
or service offers.
Use testimonials. Nothing helps sell a product or service
better than reading comments from satisfied customers. (Be
sure to get your customer’s permission before quoting
him.)
Have a “Frequently Asked Questions” section. Your
brochure should answer common questions a prospect is
going to ask about your product or service. If your
business does quotes, include a separate questionnaire
that the prospect can fill out and fax to you.
Include information that the prospect would find valuable.
He’s then more likely to keep
the brochure longer. For example, you run a computer
repair service, so you include
in your brochure a small section called “Ten Ways to
Boost your Computer’s
Performance” or “Little Known Windows Shortcuts to
Improve your Productivity.”
Tell the prospect what the next step he or she should
take. Call for more information?
Call for a free estimate?
Designing your own brochure will save you money. But I
still think it’s worth the expense to hire an
experienced graphic designer. If you don’t have a talent
for
design, your brochure will look amateurish and will
reflect poorly on your business.
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Dave Coyne is a copywriter, marketing consultant and
president of DC Infobiz. Get his FREE REPORT “Start A
High Income, Low Risk Home Business And Never Create
A Product, Write An Ad or Talk To Anyone.” Send an email
with REF005 in subjectline to dcinfobiz@GetResponse.com
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