21 Ways to Use Brochures to Build a Successful Business

By Gwen Buehler, Marketing Manager, In Touch Today Corporation

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1. Place brochures in the offices of ALL your professional referral sources (CPA’s, Mortgage Professionals, Insurance Agents, etc.)
   
2. Segment your database and determine which brochure is applicable to each segment. Mail them a brochure relating to their current and possible future situations.
   
3. Offer brochures as a free gift through email or postcards to get people to ‘raise their hand’ and show interest. For example: Sent a postcard to a list of current renters offering a free brochure about “Understanding Mortgages.”
   
4. Use them as free hand-outs during an educational presentation about that respective topic.
   
5. Include them in a welcome package for new clients.
   
6. Order a brochure stand and place them in your office and in the lobby too!
   Brochure Stand Example: http://www.officedepot.com/textSearch.do? uniqueSearchFlag=true&Ntt=508-283
   
7. Include them in a thank you package for returning clients.
   
8. Place them in local businesses (dry cleaners, restaurants, hair salons etc.)
   
9. Email all your clients announcing that you have a brand new educational brochure that they may be interested in and ask them to respond if they would like you to send them one – or more for their friends who may be interested too.
   
10. Ask local schools to place them in the break room for teachers to take.
    
11. Bring them to networking events, tradeshows, bridal shows, and seminars on related topics, and offer them as a free hand out at your table.
    
12. Purchase a mailing list and prospect new clients by offering an educational brochure. For Example: Purchase a list of people currently renting and send them a brochure about why they should buy a home or the importance of renters' insurance.
    
13. Immediately after speaking with a new client, send them a greeting card thanking them for their time. Include a brochure about the topic that is most applicable to their situation.
    
14. Display them at referral partner’s events – like open houses, or special events for their customers.
    
15. Go to a local bookstore and find books that relate to the topic(s) of your brochure – simply insert your brochure into the book!
    
16. If you have mortgage professionals as referral sources, co-brand a mini ‘home financing application’ brochure and ask them to use it as their first step for new applicants.
    
17. Ask your referral partners to include your brochures in their welcome packets to new clients.
    
18. Send a greeting card (just to say hello) to all your clients and enclose a brochure. Ask them to pass it along to someone who could use it.
    
19. Ask local fire stations, police stations and medical facilities to place them in break rooms for their employees to take.
    
20. Order a supply of brochures with you AND your professional partner's information on it to begin branding yourselves as the team to count on.
    
21. Sometimes it is hard to break the news that a client must clean and fix their house to get it sold. If you are a Realtor, give all your new clients a “Creating Curb Appeal” brochure as the first step in encouraging them to get their home in tip-top shape for a quicker sale.

© 2008 by In Touch Today Corporation and its licensors. This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

In Touch Today is a marketing company based in Denver Colorado that assists professionals in increasing their repeat and referral business as well as building professional referral sources and prospecting new clients. www.intouchtoday.com.