How to Build a Compelling Marketing Communications Folder
How to Build a Compelling Marketing Communications Folder
Insert #1: The Compelling Story
Every small business owner should be able to tell a compelling story about their passions and why they started their business. After all, how can you expect to create passion in your customers if you're not able to convey your own business passion?
The Compelling Story is just that – a short 1-page info sheet on just why you created your business. The story must be personal, engaging, and fun to read. If you can make an emotional connection with the reader, you’ll quickly build trust and confidence with your prospects.
Below are a few points to help you craft the perfect compelling story.
- Be personal - Talk about the people you've touched in your business
- If possible, appeal to the emotions
- Make your story fun to read
- Tell your story with passion
- Show your human side - talk about mistakes you've made and the lessons you've learned
Your Compelling Story is the perfect start to your marketing communications folder.
Insert #2: The Competition
The purpose of this insert is to summarize why people should buy from you as opposed to your competition. Summarize all the advantages of doing business with your company. Communicate your unique approach, the value customers get when they do business with you, and why your products and services are the best in your field.
Again, make this a single sided sheet and pick just three or four points to communicate.
Insert #3: The Problem Solver
How are you are able to solve the business problems of your customers? This insert should tell the whole story.
Here’s what I suggest you include in this single-page insert.
- Define the main problems of your target market
- Describe how your product or service solves those problems
- Describe the steps needed to solve the problem
Insert #4: Product and Service Summary
In this insert, summarize your various product/services and list the benefits of each.
Make sure you discuss the benefits, not the features. This is an important distinction. Too many companies spend their time covering product features instead of focusing on the benefits to the customer.
Insert #5: The Testimonial Page
This is the page that summarizes your best customer testimonials. Here are a few ideas for collecting customer testimonials.
1. Many customers may feel they don't have the time to write a testimonial. For customers with an established relationship, write one up on their behalf and present it to them for their approval.
2. After completing a successful transaction with a customer, ask them for a quick testimonial. Have them write a few sentences down on a piece of paper. It will only take a minute and they will rarely refuse if you have provided value.
3. To create more powerful copy, ask your customers to write the testimonial as if they were recommending you to a friend.
Insert #6: The Informational Article
Write a short article on a topic that is important to your customer base. Include a web URL where they can view or download the entire article at no charge. By providing free and useful information, you will build on the trust and confidence you have already established.
So there you have it - all the main components of a strong marketing communications folder. You can purchase a pocket folder with your logo and tag line printed on the front from your local print shop or a service such as VistaPrint. I recommend purchasing folders that have slots on one of the inside pockets for your business card.
Any time you have someone that expresses an interest in your products and services, mail or give them a copy of your folder. It's a powerful marketing communication strategy that will build trust, interest, and repeat business.
How to Build a Compelling Marketing Communications Folder - To learn more about this author, visit Corte Swearingen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
What do you give your prospects after they’ve expressed an interest in your products or services? Most small business owners simply pass out a single sales brochure. It’s much more effective to present a complete folder of information that works to further build trust and confidence. This article discusses the inserts I recommend you include in your marketing folder.
Insert #1: The Compelling Story
Every small business owner should be able to tell a compelling story about their passions and why they started their business. After all, how can you expect to create passion in your customers if you're not able to convey your own business passion?
The Compelling Story is just that – a short 1-page info sheet on just why you created your business. The story must be personal, engaging, and fun to read. If you can make an emotional connection with the reader, you’ll quickly build trust and confidence with your prospects.
Below are a few points to help you craft the perfect compelling story.
- Be personal - Talk about the people you've touched in your business
- If possible, appeal to the emotions
- Make your story fun to read
- Tell your story with passion
- Show your human side - talk about mistakes you've made and the lessons you've learned
Your Compelling Story is the perfect start to your marketing communications folder.
Insert #2: The Competition
The purpose of this insert is to summarize why people should buy from you as opposed to your competition. Summarize all the advantages of doing business with your company. Communicate your unique approach, the value customers get when they do business with you, and why your products and services are the best in your field.
Again, make this a single sided sheet and pick just three or four points to communicate.
Insert #3: The Problem Solver
How are you are able to solve the business problems of your customers? This insert should tell the whole story.
Here’s what I suggest you include in this single-page insert.
- Define the main problems of your target market
- Describe how your product or service solves those problems
- Describe the steps needed to solve the problem
Insert #4: Product and Service Summary
In this insert, summarize your various product/services and list the benefits of each.
Make sure you discuss the benefits, not the features. This is an important distinction. Too many companies spend their time covering product features instead of focusing on the benefits to the customer.
Insert #5: The Testimonial Page
This is the page that summarizes your best customer testimonials. Here are a few ideas for collecting customer testimonials.
1. Many customers may feel they don't have the time to write a testimonial. For customers with an established relationship, write one up on their behalf and present it to them for their approval.
2. After completing a successful transaction with a customer, ask them for a quick testimonial. Have them write a few sentences down on a piece of paper. It will only take a minute and they will rarely refuse if you have provided value.
3. To create more powerful copy, ask your customers to write the testimonial as if they were recommending you to a friend.
Insert #6: The Informational Article
Write a short article on a topic that is important to your customer base. Include a web URL where they can view or download the entire article at no charge. By providing free and useful information, you will build on the trust and confidence you have already established.
So there you have it - all the main components of a strong marketing communications folder. You can purchase a pocket folder with your logo and tag line printed on the front from your local print shop or a service such as VistaPrint. I recommend purchasing folders that have slots on one of the inside pockets for your business card.
Any time you have someone that expresses an interest in your products and services, mail or give them a copy of your folder. It's a powerful marketing communication strategy that will build trust, interest, and repeat business.
How to Build a Compelling Marketing Communications Folder - To learn more about this author, visit Corte Swearingen's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
|
I've created this section on my site to share some of the incredible tools that I've used to build my business. I hope you too can benefit from them and look forward to hearing your feedback on the reviews! - Visit Evan Carmichael's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Corte's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Balance chart Human Resources Checklist Workplace Violence Instant Brochures Free Marketing Plan Template |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009 | |
 |
Write The PR
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||