Back in the day, big marketing agencies used to charge a fortune to design fancy, flashy, printed collateral packages for their clients. (Okay, let’s be honest… they still do.) I’m talking about the posh sales materials that included printed letterhead on thick, textured paper and matching envelopes and thank you cards, glossy multi-page sales brochures, custom die-cut folders, embossed and foiled business cards, engraved executive pens, labels, memo pads, postcards, and promotional (aka “premiums”) items, such as keychains/t-shirts/mugs, etc. We even used to print sales tracking forms (this was clearly before SalesForce or HubSpot became a thing).
Printed Collateral Packages Might Not Be Necessary Anymore
The question is… does anyone care about or NEED these items anymore? It’s an interesting question, and one that differs with the type of business that’s asking that question. Some people aren’t even using business cards anymore, yet companies like Moo.com are absolutely thriving.
Let’s Be Realistic
The answer is more complex than a simple Yes/No. I used to do marketing for luxury resort/real estate clients. We could easily spend half a million building out lavish sales centers. The potential purchase for a hot lead could be in the millions of dollars. So, in that scenario, it made sense to mail prospects a sales package that might cost $30 to produce. And for qualified leads that came in for a sales center tour, provide that sales package, plus a $12 mug, and a $25 shirt.
However, for most small business owners, the scenario is completely different. The price points of the products or services offered doesn’t lend itself to spending a large budget for luring people onto your brand. We don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on expensive printed collateral like letterhead and sexy promotional giveaways.
Get Strategic
But keep in mind, that doesn’t mean that we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. With most transactional communications switching to a digital format, it just doesn’t make sense to print letterhead and envelopes. But, if you have an easily-defined set of services or products, a simple and easy-to-read trifold can be used as your sales brochure at an affordable cost. And I’m still a big believer in business cards — even if you don’t hand them out to your prospects or clients, it’s still a great way to connect to people in your community, and establish yourself as a reputable business. And maybe you don’t send a $25 shirt to anyone that inquires about your products, but perhaps it would make sense to send your best clients a little “thank you” gift at the end of the year.
We’re experts at assessing the right branding for your business needs. If you’d like to meet up to have some rum, and chat through some ideas, we’re happy to listen! Call or email today to schedule a 30-min consultation at no cost to you. You can reach us at (813) 499-1088!
