COLLATERAL

Collateral should be

technically sound in concept, visually appealing in design
and informative in presentation,

while still being cost-effective.

Even the most technical aspects of your literature need to harmonize with the basic objectives of your marcom plan, and be graphically compatible to enhance branding.

TANGIBLE TOOLS TO SUPPORT THE SALES PROCESS

Although we live in a digital age, make no mistake—sales collateral is still important in the B2B world to help tell a good story visually. It carries the company brand and is a key sales tool and competitive differentiator. And of course, when somebody is close to making a buying decision, they will be scouring your website for solid product or service information and specifications.

Marketing collateral, such as brochures, datasheets, catalogs, flyers, presentations and point of sale materials, that vocalize your branding elements will help differentiate you from the competition. By communicating who your company is and what it is it has to offer—both in content and creative—these tools will help to reinforce your unique position to your associates, prospects and customers.

USE WHAT’S RELEVANT TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Here are some important, yet often overlooked, marketing resources that you should have at the ready at all times:

Case Studies & Testimonials—There is no better way to instill confidence in a prospect than through someone else explaining the success they have had by working with you. From a simple few paragraphs providing a solid endorsement to a fully-detailed analysis of how you solved a problem together, these critical pieces of collateral will surely enhance your brand reputation.
Brochures—These important tools anchor your brand in the physical world, so your company is not just a passing click during a web search. They serve as a reminder of who you are after a prospect leaves your site or has finished the meeting they had with your company, so should be available for digital download as well as in printed form. And of course, clean design and succinct messaging that communicates who you are to your customers and prospects is key.
Corporate ID Materials—Branding, branding, branding. It still applies to your letterhead, business cards and PowerPoint presentations as well as to all your online marcom tools, like your website, blog and electronic newsletter. Make sure every piece of collateral you develop is created to support your brand position and effectively showcase who you are.

By no means are these the only form of collateral needed, but these will definitely get you moving in the right direction.

CREATING APPROPRIATE RESOURCES

Not every marketing resource will be relevant to every business, so identifying what works and what doesn’t, what’s on trend and what isn’t, is a crucial part of the puzzle. And there are differences between sales materials versus marketing materials as well as how you need to communicate with clients and prospects based on where they are within the sales cycle. Your audience expects a different language, style, tone and type of information between a datasheet, whitepaper, brochure, product guide, event flyer, shipment insert, etc.