What Is Sales Literature?

Sales literature is the collection of materials businesses use to educate customers and help them make buying decisions. These materials can include pieces such as specification sheets, price lists, brochures, catalogs, media kits and order forms. With the ongoing switch from print materials to electronic communications, some of these tried-and-true materials are being converted to digital formats.

To entice customers to buy, many businesses use sales materials that tout the benefits of the product, create excitement, offer testimonials and use other means to pitch people. Before a customer starts asking specific questions about quality, prices or warranties, you’ll need to convince him that he wants or needs the product. Create sales pieces that demonstrate that your potential customer has a problem or need, reveal there’s a general solution to the problem or need and announce that your product or service provides this solution.

Before you tell customers how much a product or service costs, it’s often a good idea to let them know how the product works and describe its features and other information such as sizes, materials from which the product is made or ingredients used. Many companies provide specification, or spec, sheets to help their salespeople sell products. Make your spec sheets educational for customers, answering their technical questions, rather than addressing the benefits of using the product or providing prices.

Once your customer is interested in buying, make it convenient for her to make her specific decision and place an order. Price lists allow customers to determine their cost of buying, including quantity discounts, shipping fees and taxes. Order forms allow customers to tally their purchase, determine the total price and place the order. Some order forms require a credit card number or a signature, title and date. Include the terms of delivery and payment on order forms.

Media outlets such as magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations and websites combine sell and spec sheets, price lists and order forms in one group of documents called a media kit. The kit includes information on the medium; a breakdown of the reader, listener, viewer or visitor demographics; prices; and order forms.

Create electronic versions of your sales materials to send to customers in the event they are interested in learning about your product or service or are ready to order but don’t have your materials. This also allows your salespeople to quickly get important information into the hands of potential customers via email or to call the documents up on their smart phones or a computer in the client’s office to take advantage of an unexpected sales opportunity.