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.