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Brochures can
easily do more harm than good. There is a time and a place for a
brochure. When people call in response to advertising, you need to
position the caller into a place where they can be sold. The brochure
usually does not do this. The exceptions being mail order and people
located far away from your site. When a person calls, the best
strategy is to motivate them to come in or to set an appointment for
you to go see them. To offer a brochure before attempting to do this
is incorrect. The goal of mailing a prospective customer a brochure
is to motivate them to come in or arrange an appointment. If the
person is already willing to come in or make an appointment, quit.
You attained your goal. Don't oversell. Some businesses send
customers brochures after the customer has made a first time
appointment. This is also incorrect. To minimize no-shows, confirm
appointments the day before, don't send brochures.
Advertising and
publicity motivates people to call you. They might wish to see you
for a consultation or they might have some questions they need
answered over the phone. The best way for a customer to evaluate you,
and your DJ services is to physically have a meeting with you. They
can evaluate you, and your services best this way plus you can
evaluate them. This gives you a chance to sell them or disqualify
them. Brochures will only serve to complicate this process by
inserting another level of obstruction into the selling process. The
phone call leads to a visit or an appointment which should lead to a
sale. Brochures are for non buyers. If some person calls and doesn't
wish to set an appointment at the time of the call, they are not a
buyer as far as you are concerned. To maintain contact with this
person you can send out a brochure. You can enter the caller's name
and address into your data base for future contact by phone or by
mail. There is also the chance that the brochure will motivate the
caller to resume contact with you. Remember, a caller can be sent a
brochure which turns them off to what you're offering. If this person
was there with you in person, you might be able to overcome the
objections this person has. They might not understand the situation.
If they aren't a good prospect for something you can talk to them
about alternatives if they are with you. A brochure can't do this for you.
For brochures I
prefer 8 ½" X 11" size heavy stock paper, usually
colored, printed on both sides, tri-folded into six pages (counting
both sides). The image is very important with a brochure. Decide what
it is you want to convey in the brochure and plan your layout. A bold
headline is not important. Use of photos is important. I prefer
before and after photos when applicable.
For individual
service promotion a 8 ½" X 11" flyer is my choice, but
there is a lot to be said for a tri-fold here as well. I like glossy
paper. Color adds to the attractiveness. Sometimes colored ink and
B&W photos create a nice looking piece at a reasonable price.
Don't try to
explain everything it is you do in one brochure. It may be useful to
use several brochures. Stay away from the "canned"
brochures. The effectiveness of the brochure is directly related to
how well it conveys the benefits of going to you for services. The
"canned " brochures by definition can't do this. They
convey the idea that a service is the same wherever you buy it. This
is good for the seller of these brochures. The use of these brochures
will create holes in your marketing armor. If you plant thoughts like
this in the mind of the consumer, you are leading them toward the
path of price shopping. Your brochures need to tell your story. Why
customers like your business. Why you're different. Why you're
successful. Tell how long you've been in business if you think that
will be helpful. Talk about your special education, experience, and
certifications. Suggest that the prospective customer contact you for
references. The brochure must express clearly what benefits the
customer will derive as a result of choosing you and/or your
business. If this is lacking the brochure will not accomplish its task.
I have worked with
clients that refuse to use brochures. When customers call and request
a brochure the office states that they have no brochure, but we will
see you at no-charge for a consultation or quotation. It is expressed
that in a consultation or quotation visit the customer can properly
evaluate the service, and bearing this in mind we do consultation
visits on a complimentary basis. In the instances I've seen this
done, it has worked extremely well. It requires a real marketing
oriented team to pull it off.
If you are
marketing your DJ services long-distance (more than 100 miles) it is
acceptable to send inquiring callers a brochure. When there are long
distances involved you will need to offer some sort of brochure or
you will alienate your callers, but if the caller just wants to set
up an appointment go for it. I would include a notation in the
advertisement offering a brochure or video.
Never put prices
in a brochure. If you change your prices, your brochure will become
worthless. Make them call for prices or enclose a separate price
sheet with the brochure. With a separate price sheet it is much
easier and cheaper to change your prices.
If you have a
high-end business, it is always a nice touch to color coordinate your
brochure to the decor of the office and the stationery.
It is a work able
strategy to use one brochure for your waiting room or showroom, and
another brochure that you mail out to inquiring customers.
Remember, you're
the salesperson not the brochure. This is of course not true in a
strict mail order setting where the telephone isn't brought into the
setting. In this case your selling will be done by your ad primarily.
If you solicit requests for a brochure in your ads, they will be
doing the selling, not you. As I've been preaching sell the benefits
to the consumer of buying the services and buying them from you. |
