The purpose of point of sale materials is to give the Contract Training sales representative something to guide an introductory in-person meeting and something to send out or leave behind to familiarize clients and potential clients with the breadth of services of the Contract Training unit. In this article, I’ll refer to these materials as “the brochure,” but they could be called other names as well.
Key features of a well-designed brochure or sales kit include:
- Easy to find the information that interests you most.
Give someone your brochure for 60 seconds. Take it away. Can they tell you who it’s from, who it’s for, and whether it’s relevant to them? If not, re-design it until they can. Your institution logo and appropriate images will help convey this message, as will a few easy-to-find key headlines.
- Contact information is clear and easy to find.
Suppose I look at this brochure and want to contact you about a follow-up conversation. Can I find the name and phone and email of the person whom I should be contacting? Is the information up-to-date? Does it get me to your Contract Training desk or to a general switchboard where they may or may not know who you are? If I can’t get you, I will not likely make a second call.
- The front and back cover should attract the attention of the reader.
You have 3 seconds on a cover to attract my attention on your cover. You don’t know if I’ll pick up the brochure on the front or the back, so both of those sides must serve the function of getting my attention and causing me to look inside the brochure.
- The brochure should create a sense of interest.
Once I have opened the brochure, does it create a sense of immediate interest to the reader? Every readers’ primary question is, “What’s in it for me?” Does your brochure use bulleted lists and headlines to show me how I can be successful?
- The brochure should create a sense of desire to buy.
Does this brochure cause the reader to want to buy your services? What would do that? The reader needs to see a connection between what classes, products, and services you offer, as well as their needs. If the connection is clear, they’ll want to buy the things that will clearly contribute to their success.
- The brochure should cause the reader to want to act.
If the brochure creates a sense of the possibility of success for the reader, they will want to act. Some of the things that cause this sense are testimonials that show clearly how you have helped others; lists of the kinds of success you have and can create, credentials of the sorts of providers you use – and more.
- The brochure should create a sense of urgency.
If a client thinks you could help them, but does not feel any sense of urgency, they are not likely to call or email you. You’ve basically failed on the sales call. So, give the client a reason to contact you soon. This could be a time of year, or a discount incentive, or the urgency created by upcoming legislation around safety or other workplace issues, or the availability of your best providers.
- The brochure should compete with similar providers in the local market.
You need to look professional enough to compete with the other providers in your area and the industries – but not so flashy that you look like you’re squandering state dollars on printing brochures.
- The brochure should be easy to update.
A Contract Training sales “kit” that is a folder and has loose pages of information on programs and instructors can be customized for each client you visit. It can also be updated simply by re-printing the pages inside.
- The brochure should emphasize the clients’ needs, not your institution.
Don’t put a photo of your institution on the outside and don’t use valuable sales space with a long and boring letter from an executive in your institution. Use the space to tell me about the results and success I’ll enjoy if I use your services. Sell – don’t tell.
- The brochure should be written in the “second person”.
The copy in the brochure should use “second person” language. Say YOU.
[Example] When YOU use our services… It’s better for selling. It’s personal. It will engage me when I read it. I’ll feel like the brochure is all about me and my needs, which will enhance itself by a sense of connection.
- The brochure should contain results-oriented language.
People buy contract training to improve results in the workplace, not just to increase the knowledge of their workers. “Our business is different than that of the rest of the institution.” Load the copy with words that indicate improved behaviors and better performance.
- The brochure should clarify “next steps”.
If I don’t know what to do next, I probably won’t do anything. Tell me. Spell it out.
- The brochure should clearly identify who it is for – and who it is not for.
Make it clear that this brochure is for the people you actually serve. Don’t use stock
photos of people on Wall Street if you serve welders and computer programmers.
- The brochure should clarify the difference between the Contract Training unit and the rest of the institution.
Our Contract Training units are often hidden inside and therefore, get confused with our programs for matriculated students. Make the distinction crystal clear in words and images.
- The brochure should be affordable to print and environmentally sustainable.
Make sure your printing practices are environmentally friendly, and say so in your fine print.
- The brochure should focus on the right images.
The images in your brochure should reflect those whom you serve and want to serve. They should message success and enjoyment in the business environment.
- The brochure should be easy to read.
Use a font that reads well in all lighting conditions.
- The brochure should be possible to mail.
Contact your post office or mailing agency and find out what formats will be cheap and easy to mail. Sometimes, you’ll want to mail a lot of these marketing pieces out.
- The brochure should be up-to-date.
Every 3-4 years, check on your look and make sure it’s up to date. Redesign when it’s not.
