Integrated marketing communications is about delivering the right tools for Sales teams to develop new business and extend existing relationships. As businesses become more service-oriented with geographically distributed selling partners, a comprehensive, unified set of selling tools becomes essential.

Creating the right mix
Let’s face it, selling isn’t easy, particularly in a service-oriented, global economy. Standing out in the fray has never been more difficult as markets become more saturated. The modus operandi of yesteryear’s marketing department was to embark on an ad, publicity or direct mail campaign to get the word out. These traditional marketing methods—while still suitable for events like special offers or product launches—are too high-cost and often ineffective to be considered useful, everyday tools in today’s highly competitive markets.

By contrast, today’s marketing and sales efforts must center on building relationships with your customers or clients. Consultative selling approaches have become the norm. To facilitate this style of engagement with your client, you need the right tools. Here’s a look at a set of essential, everyday marketing tools.

Capabilities brochure
Effective selling begins not by cramming your product and services down your prospect’s throat, but getting to know your client’s needs, objectives and pains. Demonstrating your clear understanding of a client’s situation is the point at which trust begins to form. A well-articulated brochure can help this process:

• Make it tangible, not virtual. Although we live and work in a digital world, the printed word and image are still very much alive. Printed brochures are an effective relationship-building device. Handing someone a brochure that speaks to their needs helps establish rapport in ways that a PowerPoint presentation in a dimly light room cannot. It stays with them when show-and-tell is over, along with the memory of your presence.

• Create a conversation piece. A high-impact marketing brochure should not only be thought of as a “leave behind” for your clients, but an interactive tool. A key diagram, model or comparative matrix can help to engage sales reps and clients in a dialogue about your product or service, strengthening your client’s knowledge of your brand.

• Leverage your industry expertise. Many service-oriented businesses proudly display an impressive client list in their marketing brochures. Take this concept a step further by clearly articulating your company’s industry expertise. The ability to demonstrate your company’s grasp of your client’s market conditions and offer solutions with tangible pay-offs will put you ahead of competition that offers only show with little knowledge.

Solution sheets
The solution sheet is the mainstay of any company’s arsenal of marketing literature. Consequently, planning and executing product or service literature can be a grueling ordeal. Having designed and produced numerous sell sheets as a MarCom director and now as a marketing consultant, I can attest first-hand to the countless iterations, frustrations stemming from “design by consensus,” and internal conflicts over functions and features.

The bright news comes at the end of the process when Development, Marketing, Sales and Executive teams all share a distilled and unified understanding of your product or service offering. The process is truly cathartic, but this is a weighty topic for another article. Instead, here’s some advice on what a quality solution sheet should contain:

• Currency adds urgency. I admire marketing and PR professionals who cut their teeth as journalists. Why? Because they know how to write a headline. Great leads grab your attention. Take this lead in one of my client’s sell sheets, “Unauthorized changes to your website or its critical records can ruin your reputation and wreak havoc on your business.” Ouch! That intro makes me sit up and take notice. By identifying prevalent topics and issues in your client’s business environment, you are likely to catch their interest, and spur them to read on.

• Show me the money. Remember your main audience is decision makers with a keen eye for the business value and return on investment. Make sure your value proposition and the client benefit are well articulated and prominently displayed.

• Avoid tech jargon. Talking the talk is important in any professional setting, but the presence of too much technical language can diminish the overall effectiveness of your message. Consider using a technical specification sheet if disclosing lots of technical data is an integral part of your sales process.

• Not too text-heavy. The timeworn maxim, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” speaks volumes when it comes to conveying your service or product message. A well-placed model, diagram, chart or graph can amplify your message, reduce reading fatigue and provide a focal point for your reader. Be judicious, though, as too many graphics can be distracting. Worse, they can be perceived as gratuitous.

Success Stories
The immortal lines of comic great Rodney Dangerfield, “I don’t get no respect…” may ring true for many business owners. The trick is to use the right vehicle for communicating your true virtues and strengths. Marketing literature is good at establishing who you are and what you do, but credibility is built on solid evidence that you can deliver on your promises. And that’s what case studies or success stories are good at. You need to be disciplined about asking your clients for your hard-won kudos. Here’s some advice:

• Capture your successes in ink. “Always speak the truth—think before you speak—and write it down afterwards.” I don’t think Lewis Carol had case studies in mind when he penned the Red Queen’s guidance to Alice in his classic tale, Through the Looking Glass, but the advice is dead on. Get your clients to agree to conduct an interview for the purpose of a written case study. It’s a win-win. Your client will look good, and you’ll have a valuable tool when you pitch to your next prospect.

• Third-party validation. Warning: conducting your own case-study interview with your client can be counter-productive. The client can perceive you as a handler rather than an objective interviewer, which can stymie the interview. Engaging a professional interviewer/writer can produce a more relaxed exchange with your client. A professional writer will make sure that only the positives make it into the story. Any dissatisfaction expressed by the client can be discreetly channeled back to you for private review.

• Repurpose your story. Publication editors are continually searching for new story ideas. Although some editing may be necessary to remove overtly promotional references to your product or service, pitching a quality success story to an appropriate trade or industry magazine is a great way to repurpose your content and get free exposure.

Using web-based tools
The emergence of webinars and webcasts give you ways to communicate live with remote prospects. Internet-based marketing, presentations and online demos cast your marketing net far and wide—and at a fraction of the cost of advertising.  In the age of relationship marketing, establishing yourself as a thought leader is a smart strategy, but using these new tools effectively takes some thoughtful planning.

What will make qualified leads attend? When should you hold your Webinar? Who will be the speaker? How and when do you promote the event? These are but a few important questions to consider before sending out the invitations to your on-line event.

Conclusion: consider which tools are best for you
I’ve only skimmed the surface of the communication tools available in today’s ever-expanding marketing arena. The brochure, solution sheet, success story and emerging web-based tools provide effective, integrity-building tools for your business.  In the end, you have to choose the right mix of communication tools for your business. The key is to match your message to your market using the right medium.

Up next in Part 3: Making new friends—using partner networks to build your business.