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Basic marketing materials include a company brochure and, depending on your business, various booklets or specification sheets promoting your products, services or the industries that you serve.  It’s nice to have something tangible to give people – it helps establish credibility.

Here are some suggestions for preparing a brochure:

• Keep it simple – you may only need a few pages.  Consider a bi-fold or tri-fold that can be easily mailed in a regular envelope or carried in a jacket or purse
• Include testimonials from customers – they are infinitely more compelling than anything you could write about yourself
• Keep information to a minimum.  

Now focus on what makes you different:

1.   Benefits of selecting your company
2.   Opening hours
3.   Unlimited telephone support
4.   Range of products/services
5.   Timeliness of delivery
6.   After-sales service  
7.   24/7 support
8.   Resource centre
9.   Free samples
10.   Clear pricing structure

Things to minimise or avoid:

1.   Overuse of the words “we” or “our” – instead, use the words “you” and “your”
2.   History of the company
3.   Features of the company
4.   Pictures of all team members

Now that you have produced your brochure, develop a distribution plan:

1.   Send two copies to all of your customers and referral sources.  Ask them to pass on the second copy
2.   Create a display in your reception area
3.   Keep a supply of brochures with you, and make sure your other team members do the same
4.   If you get the opportunity to make a speech, distribute your brochure to audience members beforehand (by putting a brochure on each chair, for instance).  That way, they are familiar with you and your products or services before you start talking and will be more likely to focus on your message
5.   Include some marketing literature with each piece of correspondence you send out, both to customers and prospects

A website and a general brochure may be all you need to promote your business.  But if you specialise in serving specific industries or professions, you will want to have specialised booklets for each industry/profession you serve or each product or service you offer.  They don’t need to be expensive, they just need to be specialised and look professional.