Everybody's seen them. Those beautiful, bi-fold, rich-color, ultra-glossy, ultra-fine, self-glorifying branded pieces - and they are all about you! The personal brochure - your own "gloss-a-thon" that's completely about you, your likes, your dislikes, how many llamas you have, where you came of age, and your most-liked movies.
Many small business owners spend serious money to make personal brochures that do little else than make them feel satisfied about themselves. Hey, all of us are human. It can be really seductive to have a professional sales hand-out that makes you look great in the eyes of your community, competition and friends. But the trouble is that a possible client just doesn't care. I really hate to burst your bubble here, but clients do not want to know that your cat's name is Snowball and that your father-in-law lives in Albuquerque.
What they'd like to see is how you're able to help them. You should always assume that people are focused on themselves ninety-nine percent of the time. They would like to know, "What's in it for me?"
So if there's something in your past work life that would benefit a customer, then go ahead and mention it. But would that include the fact that you went to the University of Texas? Not really, unless perhaps you have a degree in something that specifically helps your client.
Case in point: my customer John has a degree in architecture and now beautifully translates his past life as an architect into his new career as a property agent. He can see things that the average agent misses and he never wastes a chance to mention design and construction ideas to his clients. This is a direct benefit to them, not just an empty factoid.
Do his clients really care that he's also a scuba diver? No - that is not going to help him respond to their need. That is how it works. People are friends with folks who have a common hobby, but when it comes to engaging in business it's almost always, "what's in it for me?"
A professional brochure is exactly that - pro. It sticks to the facts and rather than highlighting you, it showcases your professional expertise. Your time and effort should be spent on what you can do for the client in regards to your business services. Are there special programs that you offer? Are there any specialities that you bring to the table? Do you have any past career lives that will help your current one? When you talk about your services, you need to push yourself to zero-in and get laser-clear on what can be done for your clients.
Start a list of the precise kind of client you want to work with, the precise kinds of services you would like to offer and create a story of precisely how the transaction occurs, from lead discovery to conversion. You will begin to see precisely where you fit into the business. Write your material succinctly and memorably from this standpoint.
Take note - a professional brochure isn't going to make-or-break your business. It's just another aid in the your marketing and branding box of tools. And since I have mentioned branding - your brochure will go a long ways to being more noteworthy if it is thoughtfully and professionally branded. That means that if you offer property services, the appearance of your brochure plainly conveys, "real estate branding." If your business is cleaning services, then at-a-glance your brochure needs to proclaim cleaning services.
Professional brochures are like a take-out menu. Customers keep a take-out menu as it has info that they will need sometime. The same applies for your brochure. Use that to your best advantage.
Many small business owners spend serious money to make personal brochures that do little else than make them feel satisfied about themselves. Hey, all of us are human. It can be really seductive to have a professional sales hand-out that makes you look great in the eyes of your community, competition and friends. But the trouble is that a possible client just doesn't care. I really hate to burst your bubble here, but clients do not want to know that your cat's name is Snowball and that your father-in-law lives in Albuquerque.
What they'd like to see is how you're able to help them. You should always assume that people are focused on themselves ninety-nine percent of the time. They would like to know, "What's in it for me?"
So if there's something in your past work life that would benefit a customer, then go ahead and mention it. But would that include the fact that you went to the University of Texas? Not really, unless perhaps you have a degree in something that specifically helps your client.
Case in point: my customer John has a degree in architecture and now beautifully translates his past life as an architect into his new career as a property agent. He can see things that the average agent misses and he never wastes a chance to mention design and construction ideas to his clients. This is a direct benefit to them, not just an empty factoid.
Do his clients really care that he's also a scuba diver? No - that is not going to help him respond to their need. That is how it works. People are friends with folks who have a common hobby, but when it comes to engaging in business it's almost always, "what's in it for me?"
A professional brochure is exactly that - pro. It sticks to the facts and rather than highlighting you, it showcases your professional expertise. Your time and effort should be spent on what you can do for the client in regards to your business services. Are there special programs that you offer? Are there any specialities that you bring to the table? Do you have any past career lives that will help your current one? When you talk about your services, you need to push yourself to zero-in and get laser-clear on what can be done for your clients.
Start a list of the precise kind of client you want to work with, the precise kinds of services you would like to offer and create a story of precisely how the transaction occurs, from lead discovery to conversion. You will begin to see precisely where you fit into the business. Write your material succinctly and memorably from this standpoint.
Take note - a professional brochure isn't going to make-or-break your business. It's just another aid in the your marketing and branding box of tools. And since I have mentioned branding - your brochure will go a long ways to being more noteworthy if it is thoughtfully and professionally branded. That means that if you offer property services, the appearance of your brochure plainly conveys, "real estate branding." If your business is cleaning services, then at-a-glance your brochure needs to proclaim cleaning services.
Professional brochures are like a take-out menu. Customers keep a take-out menu as it has info that they will need sometime. The same applies for your brochure. Use that to your best advantage.
About the Author:
The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones brings over two decades of experience in the real estate industry. With expertise in strategic marketing, business analysis, branding for real estate agents and real estate training , Denise is nationally recognised as the go-to for all things "real estate."
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