Marketing Tips - Building Better Brochures

Brochures can be well-written, contain a wealth of product information, and still miss the mark as far as customers are concerned. The reason? The focus of the copy is wrong. Rather than telling customers that you understand their needs-and that you have solutions to meet these needs-too many words are wasted telling them what they don't want or need to know. 

Typically, customers don't have time to read brochures that tell them how wonderful your company is. They are bombarded with hundreds of messages every day: voice mail, e-mail, overnight mail, junk mail, etc. It's difficult enough getting their attention. Keeping it is even harder. Copy that is "inwardly-focused" does not help sell your products and services. It can actually create negative perceptions about your company.

This inward focus often takes one of two forms. In the first case, the selling company becomes too preoccupied with promoting its newest technology. In the second case, the emphasis is mistakenly placed on the selling company itself: its background, history, etc. While all of this is good information, it may not be what your customers want.

 

Take the focus off technology.

Your customers know that technology changes rapidly. Your "break-through" product may out-perform the rest of the field today, but that could change tomorrow, or at least by the next trade show. Your competitors also may be selling products by proclaiming their technology is the most innovative. It's difficult to differentiate yourself when everyone is using the same message.

And, customers aren't always looking for new technology. They may prefer products that protect investments they've already made. They may not want to gamble on something new and untested. They may not be convinced of the advantages of new technology. The claim of having the latest, newest, or fastest product can be a risky selling point.

 

Take the focus off yourself.

You probably don't want to hear this, but your company's resumé is relatively unimportant to your customers. Most of your target audience doesn't care how long you have been in business or how many products you have sold throughout the world. They want to know how you can help them solve the problems they have now.

Consider the following, which was actually used as the lead paragraph for a brochure. Aside from a self-serving headline, this is the only text that appears on the first page of this brochure:

"As a pioneer in the development of our industry, we have a rich history of creating opportunity. Drawing upon the resources of our research and development organization, one of the most prestigious in the world, we offer innovative, market-driven solutions."

While the text follows a basic brochure writing rule--one page, one message--it never informs customers of what this company is trying to sell or how it can help them. Ultimately, it fails.

Turn your attention to your customers.

Before you can write customer-focused copy, you must first understand your customers' needs, how your products and services provide solutions to meet these needs, and how your solutions impact your customers' "bottom line."

Your customers want to see how they will be able to increase revenues, decrease expenses, and attract and retain customers as a result of buying your solutions, rather than those of your competitors.

What's driving their industry? What do they need to do to get ahead or stay ahead of their competition? What are the key criteria they employ to make decisions about whether to purchase your products? Knowing the answers to these questions will give you the keys for positioning your products. But be careful. If you tell them what you think their needs are and you're wrong, you risk turning them off.

Finally, your solution needs to be translated into specific customer benefits. The strongest statement you can make is that your solution will help their revenues grow. But you need to provide evidence. Perhaps the new technology that makes your products work "faster and better" will enable your customers to increase production and satisfy a pent-up market demand. Creating opportunities to decrease operating expenses will also get the attention of your customers.

In a competitive marketplace, your customers will appreciate anything you can do to give them an advantage or help them distinguish their own brand. If they are battling for market share, they want to hear how you can make them the industry leader. This kind of message is more likely to lead to a long-term relationship in which your company is viewed as a strategic partner, rather than just a vendor.

Brochures play a supporting role in the sale of products and services. They are just one part of your integrated marketing program. Their precise contribution to sales may be difficult to quantify, but they do provide an opportunity to communicate the value of what you are selling. Approaching copy from your customers' perspective rather than your own is a "can't-miss" way to get their attention--and sell your products and services