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    Creating a Marketing Presentation Kit

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    Modular-Punch-Diesets3A good marketing kit can get your foot in the door with a new client, or can help your company get some attention through the press. Here are a few tips to help you get going.

    Determining The Purpose:

    Before you jump headlong into creating your presentation kit, you will want to put some thought into what the purpose of your kit will be. Who, for instance will be the intended audience? What is the goal, and how do you intend to use it? If you can, have a conversation with those people in your company (most likely your sales force) who are down there on the front lines every day and will be using the kit more than anyone else. Get as much of their input as you can, taking care to find out what it is that they believe will help them do their job better, convey more information more easily, and to get more sales. Then make sure that you include or develop these materials as need be.

    Assembling the Material:

    The types of material that you will want to include are: a cover letter, a press release, a background and biographical page, a page of testimonials (from satisfied customers or clients), and any marketing collateral such as brochures, that you have already developed. Depending on the purpose of your kit, you may also want to include price lists, fliers, special promotions, press clippings, and awards as well as a high resolution company logo..

    Make sure that the material you include is attractive to the eye, easily readable, and contains plenty of graphics and photographs. If the purpose of your kit it to get press, photographs will make the jobs of the media outlets a lot easier. If the kit is to show to potential clients, photographs of the product in use or thumbnail sized head shots help the client to visualize the product in question or to play up the human angle in your business.

    Your press release should read like a news story and contain quotes and contact information. There are lots of free tutorials online that will show you how to construct a great press release, so check them out.

    The background/bio page should consist of a brief company history and perhaps a list of noted clients or customers. You should also include contact information for the major players at your company, and the cover letter should be personally signed by your highest ranking officer.

    You should also, of course, include a business card. If the kit is going out to a prospect or a current client, the salesperson’s business card should be included. If the kit is going out to members of the press, the card should be that of your PR person or company.

    Printing and Binding:

    All pages should be printed on high-quality company letterhead, and photos should be in color. As far as binding, there are many options including spiral coil, or you can simply place the pages inside an attractive log folder. Binding machines, however, can give you a finished product with a more professional appearance and permanent feel. They are inexpensive and easy to use, so you can tailor your kits to a specific audience and have them ready to go out the door at a moment’s notice.

    Creating a Media Kit For Your Businesses

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    A media kit is the first step to getting your company some positive attention in the press. Here are a few tips to get you started.

    Press Release:

    Every media kit worth its salt contains an up to date and relevant press release. Press releases should read like news stories and start with perhaps two or three paragraphs of up to date news information, such as a recent award your company has received or new product line you are announcing. After those paragraphs, you should have a “boilerplate” consisting of background information about your company that you think the press might find interesting or compelling enough to contact you for a longer feature or story. Your press release should also contain quotes from relevant people within your company that can be used by your recipients for shorter blurbs. There are many online tutorials for writing good press releases that include examples, so if you still feel at a loss, check them out.

    Background and Bios:

    There should be a sheet that includes background and historical information about your company as well as the specific campaign or event you are looking to gain attention for. If there are key personnel that need to be featured, mention these people in the background sheet, and also include a separate sheet that includes short bios of these people as well as all of the major players within your organization. Though you may want to funnel press requests to one individual such as a communications director, you should include contact information for all the individuals that are listed on the bio sheet.

    Fact Sheet:

    Put together a one-sheet, bulleted list of all of the important and specific information that you want to draw attention to. The sheet should flow naturally and be easy to read, hitting the high points of your project. Make it as interesting and compelling as you possibly can while keeping the page brief and readable. Make them want to read more, but don’t get too cute with it.

    Photos:

    Include two or three high quality, print-ready photographs that your audience can use if they print a story about you. This makes their job a lot easier, and just might be the thing that tips the scales in your favor.

    Press Clippings:

    While having received press in the past gives you some credibility, you don’t want to give press outlets the idea that you have already been covered to death, so be judicious in your use of clippings. Be especially wary of including clippings from rival publications. You can pick and choose what to include depending on who you are sending the kit to.

    Cover Letter:

    Your cover letter should include and introduction and thanks, and explain to some extent what the purpose of your kit is. If you have article ideas, include them, but don’t get too pushy as the writers will not like being told what to do.

    Promo Material:

    Go ahead and put any pertinent brochures you have in the media kit, as these can contain some great information and lend credibility to your organization. If you can include a sample of your product, that’s great too.

    Putting Together a Great Report

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    Putting together a high-quality report for work or school is a unique process, and the more thought and effort you put into it, the better off you will be. Here are a few things to consider when you are creating a report.

    Why?

    Like any project, you should have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish before you start working on the meat of your report. If you are working with other people, or have been assigned this report by a teacher or supervisor, meet with all involved parties to discuss the project in depth, brainstorm and take copious notes. When it’s time to get down to writing, keep your goals in mind as you create an outline. Make sure that your narrative flows logically, and that you take your audience from point to point smoothly and seamlessly.

    Who?

    The next thing you will want to consider is who your audience is going to be. Are they somewhat familiar with your subject matter? Total newbies? Somewhat of a mixed bag? This will help you decide on what type of language you will want to use. For instance, if your audience is as up to speed as you are, you know that you can freely utilize insider-type jargon. But you need to be aware of when you will have to start some members of your audience out at square one. It is always a good idea to play to the least informed members of your audience, or to at least throw them a bone by way of explanation. It is your responsibility to inform, not to confuse.

    What?

    Now that you have planned your path, it’s time to dig in. The more information you can gather on your topic the better. You may not use it all, but at least you yourself are as well informed as anyone. Please don’t let Google do all the work here. Talk to your supervisor, your project partners, conduct interviews with authorities on your subject, or even talk to your friendly local librarian. Believe it or not, there is still useful and interesting information out there that is not yet on the internet.

    When?

    As in, when to end it? Unless you have been assigned a particular length of time to speak, this part is up to you. But of course, you will want to keep an eye to toeing the line between informative and tedious. The key is to make your points without relying on redundancy to do so. You should make sure that you include time to respond to questions, and if there are none, perhaps have some auxiliary material that you can provide to fulfill your time quota if need be.

    How?

    As in, how does it look? You should try to make sure that you report appeals to your audience on many levels, and this includes visually. Include graphics such as charts whenever possible, and in color if it fits your scope budget. Another thing to consider is the binding style you will use for the materials that you distribute. You can rely on the old tried and true 3 ring binder, or there are many other options out there that can give you different looks depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Some styles to consider are twin loop binding, spiral coils binding or thermal binding for a permanent-hardcover feel.

    Putting Together an Annual Report For Your Company

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    If you are saddled with the task of compiling an annual report for your company, here are a few quick tips to get you started.

    Get Your Numbers Together

    The basic purpose of an annual report is to present the financial status of your organization and a vision of the future (this goes for nonprofits as well). In order to get the information you need, you will have to have some meetings with your financial people, as well as those who are in charge of what direction the company is planning on taking in the future.

    Organize the Report

    Depending on your for profit/nonprofit status, there are certain things that must be included in your annual report. You should consult with some legal and financial advisers who have some experience in these matters for information on what your annual report mus include. Here are some of the basics, however:

    1. Income Statement/Balance Sheet: Gives a report on your financial status, such as detailed explanations of your net income or loss for the year. You may have to list assets and liabilities, and shareholder equity.

    2. Cash Flow Statement: a report on the liquidity of your company, and how cash moves through your business.

    3. Risks: a detailed account of current and presumed future risks your company might face.

    4. Notes: here is where you will detail your accounting practices, as well as how the information you are presenting was gathered and processed. If your company is publicly traded, there must be a section wherein a senior officer states that accounting meets the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

    Designing and Binding

    If photography, design, and copywriting are skills that you do not possess, you may have to hire professionals, or find some people who are willing to donate their services if you are a non profit. It is important that your annual report look as professional as possible, but if your company has faced some challenges in the previous year, you may not have the kind of budget you might like. In that case, find some writers and/or artists who are just starting out and may work for less.

    As far as printing and binding, there are a few different styles that may suit an annual report. Spiral coil, twin loop, and thermal binding are three that you may want to consider. If your company is just starting out and looking to save some money, consider purchasing one of these binding machines and doing the work yourself.

    Order

    You will want to start with a letter from your most senior officer. His or her message should include an overview of the year’s high points, and a summary of financial performance written in layman’s terms.

    After that, the order of what you present is up to you. Have a look at some other annual reports and borrow ideas from the ones that you like. How you present this material is entirely up to you, but in the overall narrative you will, of course, want to put as positive a spin on your situation as possible. If things have been going well for you, and are going to continue in that way, by all means, let the world know. If you have struggled, try to put as much emphasis as you can on the aspects of your year that showed promise.