In an ideal world, business owners would always have enough time to give the best sales presentation to their prospects in a pleasant, relaxed environment. They could explain every detail in the right context (and maybe even provide coffee and donuts as well).
In reality, about 300 million people are trying to start businesses. Around 50 million new firms are born in a year — meaning about 137,000 businesses are created every day.
Time and resources are scarce, while competition continues to grow. That’s why it is crucial for businesses to have great sell sheets.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about what a sell sheet is and the different types of sell sheets you need to know about.
Let’s dive in.
What Are Sell Sheets?
Picture your sell sheet as a physical version of an elevator pitch. It is a one-page document that clearly and concisely shows how your product or service solves a problem. It is often called a “one page” as well.
A great sell sheet should:
- Be visually appealing
- Be easy to read
- Get right to the point
- Have a call-to-action
A sell sheet is crucial because it will most likely be your company’s first impression on most of your prospects. Sells sheets give you full control over the information that you give your prospects, but a poorly made sell sheet can have them going away before you even get a second chance.
Making the perfect sell sheet will take a balance of marketing, copy, and design. Although it isn’t easy to create, your investment can lead to significant profits.
Different Types of Sell Sheets
There are two main types of sell sheet options that you can use for your business — product sell sheets and company sell sheets.
Although they are quite similar when it comes to their goals, they focus on different aspects of your business or product. Let’s take a look at what each of them strives to accomplish.
Product Sell Sheets
As the name suggests, product sheets focus on a specific product or service that your business offers. Although the business is mentioned in the document, it is not the main focus.
It should focus on the benefits of a single product or service and the specific problem that it addresses. They also address any common sales objections that the buyer may have.
Company Sell Sheets
Company sell sheets, also known as business sell sheets, focus on the entire business itself. Although it doesn’t focus on one specific product or service, it can mention some of them.
These sell sheets are a great introduction to prospects that includes information like company statistics, leads, mission, and more.
Elements Of a Successful Sell Sheet
Although the two types of sell sheets focus on different things, both feature the same concepts and elements of design. How you construct your sell sheet will ultimately be up to you, but here are a few things that all successful sell sheets share.
Your Logo and Product Name
First things first — make sure your prospects know exactly who you are and what you’re trying to sell to them. Display these elements clearly and prominently, but a sell sheet is referred to as a “one page” for a reason. Be mindful of how much space it takes up.
Powerful, Full-Color Imagery
The human brain processes images around 60,000 times faster than reading text. It’s no secret that bright, vivid images are much more appealing than big blocks of text.
If you want to capture your readers’ attention, it’s important to pay attention to what graphics you include on your sell sheet. Adding compelling visuals will help sell the product.
Make sure to include photos of the product to show prospects what it is that is being pitched. Show angles that allow them to picture using the product and how it will fix a specific problem. If you have multiple versions of a product, show the different kinds of packaging.
However, always aim to engage your customers without being too forceful or abrasive.
An Attention-Grabbing Headline
Your headline is the very first aspect of your “elevator pitch” that will set the tone for the rest of the one page. Spend some time here to make sure it is concise and catchy.
Try to come up with a line that captures the essence of what your product is while providing benefits to your customers. They should be able to fully understand what your product is, what it does, and what problems it would fix — all in a sentence.
An Introduction Paragraph
After you grab their attention, you can give your prospects more information about your company. Here, you can prove your reliability and why they should buy from you. You should always assume that people don’t know who you are and build their trust with evidence.
Product Specifications and Benefits
This is where the real selling begins. You need to prove that your product is worth your prospects’ time and money. List out all of the specifications of your product.
Clearly state every benefit that your customers will receive and back it up with hard evidence. Be specific about what your product contains and how it works.
While all of these are important factors, remember that it is the benefits of your product that really sells the product. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and explain what problems they will fix.
A Clear Call-to-Action
Lastly, in every piece of sales literature that you have, you need to have a clear call to action. Even if you write an incredibly compelling sales sheet with amazing visuals that gets your prospects excited to buy, it might all go to waste if you don’t tell them what they need to do next.
Always tell your prospects what they should do next. Should they go to your website? Should they call your business? Should they go to a specific place to buy your product?
Make sure they aren’t left wondering what to do next after reading your sell sheet.
Create a Powerful, Product-Moving Sell Sheet
Making a successful sell sheet can be an incredibly important sales tool for your business. If you can create one that does its job well, it can help sell your product on autopilot.
If you’re ready to start creating professional sell sheets that help take your business to the next level, check out our products today!
