There’s something to be said for flyers and sales sheets — I mean, this Internet thing is fancy and all, but now and again it’s nice to just hold a piece of paper and marvel at the things that are spread across it.
Despite the wild popularity of the mobile web and the Internet of Things, successful companies everywhere are still bothering to develop sales sheets. That must mean they’re pretty important.
Introducing the Ever-Flexible Sales Sheet
If you’re not familiar with the format, a sales sheet is basically a single page advertisement for your product that’s heavy on features and light on sales talk, and prominently displays large photos of whatever it is you’re trying to sell. You can pass them out and around at trade shows and networking events. These flexible sales tools are great for all manner of unmanned stations, from kiosks to displays, but they’re a lot more than just a throw-away flier.
When properly implemented, a sales sheet can become a networking tool or even an ice breaker for an otherwise nervous customer. Can you remember the last time you went to a networking event? Between all the sweaty palm pressing you probably collected a stack of business cards for people you never spoke to again. Maybe some of them even had ideas that you thought were pretty impressive, but let’s face it — after a day like that, there’s no way you’re going to be able to tell which random person you wanted to reconnect with from a huge deck of cards.
If instead of just handing you a business card with a URL you’ll never type printed across it, Mystery Connection Number One would have handed you a sales sheet with detailed information about the product that caught your eye — well, that’d have been been another story. Maybe the two of you would have gone on to market widgets to the furthest corners of the globe together. Who can say how that future would have gone?
Sales Sheets Help You Connect with Customers
Sales sheets can work the same kind of voodoo mentioned above if you’re trying to connect with a potential customer — and you’re not just limited to B2B on this one. Although sales sheets are more common in business to business connections these days, there are plenty of people out looking to buy a new mattress or appliance who can benefit from these simple sales tools.
They make great ice breakers, too. For example, you could use a sales sheet as a prop to help introduce yourself to a shopper in your mattress store. You just gave them a little freebie and they now have someone to answer all their questions about your products. Even if they didn’t buy a mattress right away, they’ve got something substantial they can take home and ponder on their own. When they do finally make a purchasing decision, the role your materials played won’t be forgotten.
People love to declare that print is dead, but sales sheets are just one form of printed sales material that continues to be endlessly beneficial in the digital age. A website is a great tool for reaching out and connecting to people far away, but when they’re right in front of you, it’s also great to have a prop to help forge a stronger connection.