Deals Broken On A Typo

By Lori Stang, Brand It Marketing

It does not matter what you think of your marketing materials, such as your brochures or signage. It matters what your prospective customers think when they come in contact with those materials. Whether you are a big company or small start up, your marketing and branding can make all the difference in the world in someone selecting your goods or services.

Aside from the standard requirements on a brochure such as:

· Correct contact information and no misspellings

· Call To Action

· Benefit Statement

Your marketing piece should stand out from your competition.

It should scream, "Pick me, Pick me!" "I offer professional and experienced service with high quality products. I am an established company that can handle your business and give you great service that you expect and deserve. I value your business!"

Sure, that might be a lot to expect from a piece of paper, but often your business card or brochure might be the only thing in hand if you are not there to extend the sales opportunity.

Take three minutes and your business card or brochure and put it next to your competitions' and other businesses that you respect.

Compare the following:

· Paper weight - Is it a nice heavy cardstock or gloss paper that will hold up? Or thin, light-weight paper?

· Quality of print job - Are the colors crisp and pop off the page? Or does it look like it was printed from a home printer?

· Layout and Design - Does the overall feel declare: I'm a professional, I take my business seriously? Or - I have a kid that can use Publisher Software?

If you can proudly hold up your marketing piece and exclaim, I look like the Brand I want to represent, then, Congratulations!

You might think, this does not really matter and I do not want to spend the money. If so, your business future will remain where it is now or go down, but what if your competition stepped up their marketing? Where would it leave you then? As we roll into the final quarter of 2010 there are decisions to be made for 2011. Make marketing a priority and it will work for you. Work with a professional and get professional results!