Here are our recommended pieces of printed collateral for the year ahead – so go on, take our advice and knock the socks off your next new contact:

1) A lasting ‘Leave Piece’.
You may not have heard this term before but it’s the term of a printed item to leave with a potential new client. Think of it as a souvenir for your business.

It could be in the form of printed a brochure, catalogue or leaflet – it could even be a simple pen or notepad, but whatever it is, it must look the bees’ knees and be useful.

“How do you do that?” I hear you cry. Well, make sure the leave piece is relevant for your audience. For instance, don’t give your prospect a massive catalogue full of technical jargon, if all they want is something to remind them to call you when they are next in the market for your product or service – a branded pad or pen in this instance would do the trick.

You may even want to consider putting together a little pack of items and handing this to a prospect as a gift. Enclosed in an envelope or decent plastic wallet could be your leaflet, business card, notepad and pen. Consider using a low-tac glue dot to affix the business card to the leaflet in a strategic position so that it doesn’t move about too much in the wallet.

Whatever you decide to produce as your leave piece, make sure it is affordable and gives the impression of quality. It may be tempting to choose the cheapest item, but consider what message that will portray to your prospects and clients.

If in doubt, talk to me or one of our Print Angels about how to ensure your leave piece leaves a lasting impression.

2) Splendid Sample Packs
If your company sells products, then have a small sample pack to hand or ready to post.

We have recently launched our very own Swatch Packs, which contain business card sized samples of all our most popular papers and cards. Each one displays the material it is printed on as well as what products are most suited for that substrate. They have already been extremely useful, and make us look super organised when a client walks through the door.

Unless the prospect has specifically requested it, avoid including everything you offer – it’ll be too overwhelming. Instead, send them your best sellers and as a good prompt, send them another handful in a few weeks’ time. A selection of sample cards to attach to your product will ensure your prospect is well informed of the features and benefits – it may even provide staff members with a good sales tool too.

If you’re going to post your sample pack, how are you going to present it? Ensure the packaging is suitable for the contents. You have one chance to make a first impression so ensure it is well wrapped – otherwise your lovely samples could arrive looking battered.

Think about how to brand the packaging. For the samples; a simple cellophane wrapper or bag with a printed sticker is a quick and affordable solution. For the envelope; create a label template with your logo on and print the recipient’s details – this will look a lot more professional than scribbling on to an envelope, especially if your handwriting isn’t the best.

Our own stationery supplies partner can you help with envelopes and labels – if you need a contact of a reliable, independent supplier – just ask.

What if you don’t sell products but offer a service? Well, you too need a sample pack. How? Create a short, introductory video, upload it on your website, create a unique URL or QR code and include it on a set of business cards that you use just for new people. You could even include an exclusive offer, a free worksheet or trial.

If you need help creating the best solution, simply call me or one of our Print Angels to chat about your options and ideas.

3) Beautiful Business Cards
Like them or loathe them, business cards remain a fundamental part of business life. Exchanging details digitally can, at first, appear to be quirky and ‘modern’ but a lot of people deem this to be insincere and untrustworthy. By offering a beautifully printed business card, shows you’re willing to part with something. Business cards cost money so giving out a business card proves that you’re willing to invest in that relationship.

Give your business card some worth by handing it in a special way – I present my business cards in a small envelope with ‘Lovely to meet you’ on it. I’ve lost count the amount of positive responses I’ve had from that tiny gesture. One local recruitment company hands their business cards out with a small clear packet with sweets inside. By enjoying the sweets, people are making a positive association with that brand. Brilliant!

Professionally printed business cards provide a great reminder. We may have met someone at a busy networking meeting, we’ve left the building with every intention to follow up, but life gets in the way and that motivation quickly fades. When you return to your bag or pocket and see the business card, it reminds you of that conversation. At this point, don’t hesitate – make that connection by sending an email or LinkedIn request. Think about how to go one step further, emails can be easily deleted so go old skool – pick up the phone or send a leave piece in the post.

4) Brilliant Banners
Rollup banners are not just for events. When they are not in use, don’t hide them away inside their carry cases, instead, display them in your reception area or office. This is especially useful if the banner displays bullet points of your products, because if a visitor arrives who then realises you can offer more widgets or another service – your rollup banner has just helped you make a sale. Woohoo.

There are a variety of sizes available – some as wide as 2m, which makes for a great backdrop. If the banner is for a general sales purpose, when it comes to the artwork, less is most definitely more. Avoid over complicated designs and cramming the artwork with lots of text – use a leaflet or brochure for that. We have artwork templates available for you to download or if you’re unsure what to include or you fear you may have gone overboard, send your file to us and we’ll take a look for you.

5) Slick Stationery
Having a small supply of stationery can go a long way to looking ‘the business’. Having professional looking letterheads for important proposals, follow up letters, or to accompany a brochure, can help you stand out from the crowd. No longer should you use scrappy pieces of paper to jot down a note for a visitor, instead use a branded compliment slip or notelet – it will make you look so much smarter and organised.

Whatever you decide to produce, don’t just send your printed literature to prospects – remember to send them to clients too. Yes, they have already converted into paying customers but I bet there are things they don’t realise you offer.

Having a set of essential printed items ready for action means that when some last-minute exhibition space becomes available, you can take full advantage of the situation, safe in the knowledge that your Marketing Toolkit is ready for action.

If you want a more strategic approach to your marketing collateral, or perhaps just need to get the ball rolling with a decent quality leaflet, give me or the Print Angels a call on 01332 418377 – we’d love to help.