What is a Sell Sheet?

Once the concept of a product has been fleshed out, developed and finally transformed into an actual tangible item for presentation to the public, the next step is marketing and sales. If you’re launching a new product, one simple marketing material you must create along the way is a product sell sheet.

Description

A product sell sheet is a one-page sheet used in sales to attract attention to a new product. The sell sheet is commonly distributed through the mail, presented at a meeting or provided via email to interested parties. The goal of sending out a product sell sheet is to make the other party interested enough to call the manufacturer to discuss terms of buying or publicizing the product.

Elements

The sell sheet should contain full-color pictures of the product — preferably from all angles. Include a short description of the product, as well as a list of specifications. It must also list the product’s most attractive features and benefits. To allow interested parties to order the product, the sell sheet should also include the product’s SKU, UPC or item number.

Applications

A product sell sheet is useful when you’re preparing a media or press kit. It is also a useful addition to a product marketing plan. When you are selling a product to retailers and distributors, they need to see these important details to make a decision on whether to carry it in their stores. When you are seeking publicity for the product, know that media contacts will want to see a sell sheet so that they can accurately report on the product.

Suggestions

When you make a product sell sheet, take the time to make it look professional, neat and simple. Some marketers make the mistake of trying to fit many different types of products into one sell sheet. The ideal format is to have one featured product with the item’s full specs listed on the back. However, if you have other products to sell, put the featured product on one side with a few of the others listed on the back. Print your sell sheet in full color on paper that is slightly heavier than the type you see in a standard printed catalog.

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Raise Awareness of YOUR Business

The heart of your business success lies in its marketing. Most aspects of your business depend on successful marketing. The overall marketing umbrella covers advertising, public relations, promotions and sales. Marketing is a process by which a product or service is introduced and promoted to potential customers. Without marketing, your business may offer the best products or services in your industry, but none of your potential customers would know about it. Without marketing, sales may crash and companies may have to close.

Getting Word Out

For a business to succeed, the product or service it provides must be known to potential buyers. Unless your business is known in the community and have communication with your customers readily available, you have to use marketing strategies to create product or service awareness. Without marketing, your potential customers may never be aware of your business offerings and your business may not be given the opportunity to progress and succeed. Using marketing to promote your product, service and company provides your business with a chance of being discovered by prospective customers.

Higher Sales

Once your product, service or company gets on the radar screen of your prospects, it increases your chances that consumers will make a purchase. As awareness becomes a reality, it is also the point where new customers start to spread the word, telling friends and family about this amazing new product they discovered. Your sales will steadily increase as the word spreads. Without employing marketing strategies, these sales may not have ever happened; without sales, a company cannot succeed.

Company Reputation

The success of a company often rests on a solid reputation. Marketing builds brand name recognition or product recall with a company. When a company reaches the high expectations of the public, its reputation stands on firmer ground. As your reputation grows, the business expands and sales increase. The reputation of your company is built through active participation in community programs, effective communication–externally and externally–and quality products or services, which are created or supported by marketing efforts.

Healthy Competition

Marketing also fosters an environment in the marketplace for healthy completion. Marketing efforts get the word out on pricing of products and services, which not only reaches the intended consumers, but also reaches other companies competing for the consumers’ business. As opposed to companies that have a monopoly on products and services that can charge almost any price, marketing helps keep pricing competitive for a business to try to win over consumers before its competition does. Without competition, well known companies would continue to sell while lesser known companies or new companies would stand little chance of ever becoming successful. Marketing facilitates the healthy competition that allows small businesses and new businesses to be successful enter and grow in the marketplace.

Considerations

Although marketing is hugely important for a business to succeed, it can also be very expensive. In its first year, a company might spend as much as half of its sales on marketing programs. After the first year, a marketing budget can reach as much as 30 percent–sometimes more–of the annual sales. A marketing program that gives your company the best chance is a healthy mix of different forms of marketing, such as website development, public relations, print and broadcast advertising, design and printing for all print materials, trade shows and other special events.

Look Broader. Look Closer. Think Younger.

Recently, I had the chance to do a presentation for my weekly networking group. It’s a daunting task. What does one talk about? What can I say to inspire my colleagues? What knowledge can I share that can help tell my story and more importantly what can I say to inspire them to grow their business? Yes, as business people we all need a logo, a business card, website, and letterhead. We all need collateral materials, brochures, product literature and branding to stand out from the crowd, and the ability tell our story of what makes us great business people but… How did we get where we are? Where are we going?

Ivan Misner the founder of BNI talks about the 7 Core principals of BNI. I’m not going to go into all of those, but I do want to mention #4. Traditions plus Innovations.

Huh? Traditions plus Innovations?
That’s counter intuitive!

Well, traditions of an organization or family tell us where we come from and lay the foundation of who we are, but we must always be innovative as professionals in our respective fields or as members of the human race so that we can move forward with advancements both professionally and personally. Think about that for a minute. It’s true!

In my field it is my job as a marketer to see communication issues and offer solutions to create awareness for brands, products, and businesses. Without understanding the “traditions” of myself or of an organization I cannot help “innovate” for myself or for a client.

Take the following three points and think about how they each relate to traditions plus innovation.

 

Look Broader. Look Closer. Think Younger. 

Look Broader: When tackling a communications issue there’s a lot of moving parts. If you can take a step back and look at what the product or service is, who is the target customer you want to reach and why your product or service is the best for them?

Look Closer: Look closely at your business. Look honestly at your business. Is your business where you want it to be? What can you change to make your services or products a better experience for your customer? Customers buy on need but they also buy on experience. What is your customer’s experience?

Focus on the tiniest of details and ask yourself “Is this the best way of doing this or are we doing it this way because we’ve always done it this way?”

Think Younger: Everyday I’m around my kids and they ask all kinds of questions and give reasons as to why they think something is the way that it is. Sometimes some of these thoughts and questions are really smart. Sometimes my answer is “I don’t know… That’s just how the world works.” But my kids are 10 and 8. That’s not an acceptable answer to them. They haven’t been around long enough to go with the flow. Sometimes when they run into a problem you can immediately see the gears turning and watch them try to find a way or an answer. Sometimes, just sometimes they even find a better way to do things. Young minds can be some of the most creative minds. They don’t have the references that “seasoned” veterans have. They haven’t been habituated. To them it’s new.

Have young minds on your team. Talk to young people about your product or service. Learn from them. Doing this will force everyone to think younger and will cause you to discover a new way to be innovative or a different way to do things. Don’t overthink it! Simplify it!

 

 

 

Can a Logo Increase Sales?

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Can a logo increase sales?

Logos can be quite a mystery to anyone outside of the creative industry. Small business owners can wonder what the difference is between a ‘home made logo’ and a ‘professional corporate identity’. Why should a small business owner hire a professional designer when there are hundreds of cheap (or free) logos available?

The answer is simple… your customers will analyze your logo with their own concept of what is ‘professional’, can you be trusted to supply their wants and needs?

A simple variation in an ‘off the shelf template’ will ruin the message you are trying to convey to your target audience and you may come across as being unprofessional. A logo is often the first impression that your potential customers will have of your business. A good, well designed logo can build credibility, help increase sales and attract a wider share of your target audience, but only when it meets your customers’ pre-conceived ideas of what a professional corporate identity should be – not the business owners!

Several key areas define success for small business owners and brand perception is an important one of them. When looking for someone to create a professional logo brand for your company, make sure they understand how to create an identity that will appeal to your customers and promote your business as someone that your customers can trust.

A professional logo will impact greatly on whether your potential customers will pick up the phone and speak to you!

Contact us today!