7 Collateral Marketing Items Every Small Business Needs

7 Collateral Marketing Items Every Small Business Needs
by Jacqueline Lawson

A lot of preparation time goes into a trip to a conference or trade show: business cards, check; brochures, check; updated bios, check; and more. Even a local networking event requires taking stock of your marketing collateral.  It is important that you give the best first impression; because, as the saying goes, the first impression is the lasting impression.

Additionally, there may come a time that you have to communicate information about your company to lots of different people, including employees, investors, existing and potential clients and the media. The success level of your company may depend in part upon how well you present that information.  Which is why it is important to have, current, accurate and fresh marketing collateral that best represents your company.

Every business should always have the following seven items on hand, ready to distribute either as hard copy handouts, or electronic copies.

1. Company fact sheet. Potential investors or employees, analysts and media people should be able to learn important facts about your business with a quick look at your fact sheet. A company fact sheet should include the following information:

• Date the company was founded
• Where it is headquartered and has affiliate offices
• Names and brief backgrounds of founders and upper-level management
• Contact information
• Brief mission statement

Download a Product Fact Sheet Template

2. Product fact sheets. Keep a fact sheet on file for each of your products or services. A product fact sheet should include the following:

• The product's function
• Distinctive features
• Comparison to similar products on the market
• Quality level
• Reliability
• Cost

Download a Company  Fact Sheet Template

3. Bios on founders and senior management. Make sure you have a bio on hand for each founding member of the company, every senior manager and each member of the board of directors. Bios should include the person's education, relevant experience, awards or honors, and publications that featured the team member or the team member's work.

Read How to Create a Bio

4. Mission statement. A mission statement can motivate and direct employees, subcontractors, and give new hires an idea of how your company works. You can also show the statement to potential investors, lenders or members of the media.

Read the Essentials for a Good Mission Statement

5. Company background. Whereas the company fact sheet essentially is just that--a list of facts--this document is written in paragraph form and should include more detail.

Company Profile Template

7. Press kit. When you open your business or launch a new product, consider sending out a press kit. Press kits also can come in handy if you decide to pitch your business at a trade show. Your kit should include the following elements:

• Folder with your company's logo
• Personalized letter pitching your company, product or service
• Company fact sheet
• Product fact sheet
• Press release
• Articles written about your company
• Business card
• Company background

Keeping an electronic copy saves from having to pay re-printing costs as company information changes.
Press Kit Template

8. Clip file.  Get into the habit of collecting and maintaining any articles written about your and your company, interviews, business profiles, and images you or someone else has taken at events.

Note: If you are thinking about mounting a PR blitz, here is a free Press Release service that has social media and monitoring tools.

For sending FREE Press Releases.

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Jacqueline Lawson is an African American expert, speaker and consultant for leveraging technology related to online collaboration tools, Samsung Galaxy, iPad, iPhone, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, business branding, web site and mobile application development.

Personal Media Consultant
Jacqueline Lawson
www.hotandmobile.com

jacquelie@hotandmobile.com
503.403.9157

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Are you practicing proper business etiquette?

by Jacqueline Lawson

Here are Five Proper Business Etiquette Tips:

1. Returning Phones Calls - Zig Zigler the motivational speaker said it best. “Isn’t it amazing on how much stuff we get done the day before vacation”. We all do the things we want to do and put off the things we do not want to do. Bottom line is this…..it is simply rude not to return a call. There are too many ways to make a telephone connection not to return a phone a call (Skype, Land Line, smartphone, flip phone, text message, VOIP).

2. Responding to Emails - Promptness is a must. I’m someone who gets an email and responds as soon as I am able to. I may even send a text message, just to acknowledge receipt and a timeframe of when I can respond in more detail. An excellent timeframe to respond is 12, no more than 24 hours from when you first looked at the emai

3. Respect Time - Respect your own time by being realistic in your plans for the day, week, month, and year. If you unintentionally don’t honor someone’s time, apologize profusely and work to amend the situation. When someone wants to meet or talk with you, make them give you a solid time and date. Do not allow people to pressure you to do something because they have an “emergency” or want to do something today.

4. Be One Time – It is good idea to plan your meeting time days before.  Know the travel route time, either by car or public transportation. Make sure you have gas in your car so you don’t have stop to make a purchase which takes from your travel time. Call or email the day before to confirm that the meeting is still on.  Lay out your outfit the night before, and try it on to make sure it fits!

5. Keep Promises – your reputation is your business, and your business is your reputation.  Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t make promises you know you can not keep. Give them what you promised what ever it is, you need to give them what they need, or there is no point in the promise.