You have your product ready for sampling, your brand is in place and ready to tell your products story, your packaging looks perfect, everything is in line to launch! You drop off your sample across the market hoping for your first order, but nothing happens?! What went wrong?
Your product may be good, but it is a risk to your buyer and you need to show them everything they need to know to make the sale happen. How? A well designed sales sheet. A face to face meeting is always to ideal and preferred method to selling, but whether you are meeting face to face or sending a sample your sales card needs to be included in your sample package.
If you want to land your products on store shelves you need to start selling; and whether you are meeting with a distributor or sending samples to a store. These are the 5 things you NEED to include on your sales sheet!
A Photo a your Product - This should go without saying but if you are selling something you should show it! While you should will be sending a sample along with your sales sheet, there is a good chance it is going to get separated. Add a high quality photo of your product or your product packing to your sales card so the recipient can see what you are making even if they can't taste it.
The product SKUs. Most wholesalers, retailers and distributors won't sell your products if it isn't in the SKU index. The fastest and easiest way to show your product it shelf ready is to include the SKU or Barcode; simple as that.
The Ingredients List - Including your ingredients list is an easy way to show potential buyers exactly what you are creating, while highlighting the quality of product you are making. Including the ingredient list is also a great way to let potential buyers know if your product is a good fit for their store, how? They will be able too see if your product aligns with their ethos, vegan, nut free, gluten free, etc. are all important things to know from the start.
Your Company Name and Branding - Whoever receives your sales card should know exactly who you are at a glance! Put your company name ( ideally logo ) front and center supported by your branding and other valuable company information, like your brand clarity statement ( elevator pitch ). Nothing shows off how legitimate your business is like professional branding, if you are sending your product to market and you don't have professional branding done yet, STOP! Seriously you only get to make the first impression once, and your potential buyers are only going to consider products and business that they think will sell. They are not going to take the time, or take on the risk of a business that isn't shelf ready.
Your Contact Information!! - Again this should go without saying, but the number of times I have see sales sheet without any direct contact information would boggle your mind! The goal of yours sales sheet is to help sell your product and you cannot guarantee that your sample, business card or anything else will stick together when you leave them with a prospective buyer. Everything you leave behind should have your contact information. At minimum include 3 avenues for contact, your website address, email address and social media are all great options, if you have a dedicated phone number I would include that as well. Have extra space? Consider including your name or the head of sales so purchases know exactly who to contact when they are ready to buy.
Bonus
Consider Adding your Packaged Product Details - include your individual unit weight, wholesale case purchase size, shelf life, and consider adding your MSRP if your pricing has recently been reviewed and will be accurate for at least 9-12 months.
Keep in mind your sales sheet is not your price sheet. The function of a sales sheet is to add value to the samples you supply to potential buyers; providing them with information they need to make a decision on your product and your business on their time. It should present all the of important information they need for your product in a way that is friendly and engaging and showcases your business well!
Much like a handshake your sales card is often the first impression of your business, it should look great, provide valuable information and feel meaningful. While I will always advocate for having your materials professionally designed, your sales card should absolutely be professionally design and printed. Your design will ensure everything looks great and is designed correctly helping ensure that your potential buyer is left with a positive impression and not a piece of scrap paper they immediately throw away.
Comments