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Adam's Advice: Don't Skimp on Your Brochure

A brochure may seem like a simple thing. Something that can be put together fairly easily to tell referral sources and prospective clients about your company, services and values. But don't be fooled. Your brochure can be an encouragement to send referrals your way...or running for the hills! So take the time to create a brochure that produces the results you want.

Here are a few pointers to consider for your brochure:

1. View your brochure as the primary collateral piece for your company. It should serve as a marketing tool that provides a detailed description of your agency, your services, testimonials, philosophy, community involvement and more.
2. Use it as an introductory marketing tool. A brochure is a non-intrusive means to help your prospects pre-qualify your agency before having to meet someone face-to-face. The brochure may not close the sale, but it can open the lines of communication and get you one step closer to your prospect.
3. Be careful what you say. Don't just cram in as much information about your agency as you can. Remember, prospective referral sources don't really care about YOU. They care about what you can do for them. So make sure you list benefits and not just features or services. Use catchy headlines that also express those benefits, and include testimonials from satisfied clients.
4. Address specific interests and concerns for the audience. Whatever the content of your brochure, put yourself in your audience's shoes. What do you offer that will make their life easier, give them peace of mind, etc?
5. Keep it clean. Especially if your audience is senior citizens, use a reader-friendly 12-point type or larger. Allow space between the lines and use paragraphs with clean, easy-to-read headings.
6. Looks count. Your brochure should be a professionally designed and printed piece. It is not a letter! Include photographs and color illustrations or graphics, and choose a bright, coated paper. Appropriate color and coated paper give the impression of "high quality", and this can translate to whether referral sources view your agency as high quality, too!

Next week, I'll share some pointers on how to use your brochures effectively to build relationships and grow referrals.