July 23, 2006
How to Create an Effective Sales Brochure
Direct mailing is one of the most effective marketing tactics available to the modern corporation. With new federal laws that limit when and how companies can contact customers via telephone and electronic mail, sending a letter and sales brochure via the mail is one of the last truly effective direct marketing tactics. Combining a sales brochure with a sales letter is a great one-two punch combo that has led to many successful direct mailing experiences. The letter introduces the customer to the product and piques their interest, while the sales brochure expands upon the product and details how the product is useful to the consumer. This article discusses how to write an effective direct mail sales brochure.
To write a sales brochure that is able to both inform and persuade potential customers, the author must be intimately familiar with the product or service being offered. Not only must the author have a deep knowledge of what is being offered, but he/she must also truly believe in its value. The public has an uncanny ability to pick out material that is produced half heartedly, and a sales brochure that is written by an author who is lukewarm about or, perhaps worse, completely ignorant of the product is not likely to persuade the potential customer.
Good sales brochures are both informative and persuasive. The customer looks to the sales brochure to expand upon the information given in the sales letter and provide direct evidence of how the product can solve their particular problem. Therefore, the best sales brochure writers try to anticipate the most common customer needs and address them in the sales brochure.