(posted 6/16/98)

In the last decade, the rise of desktop publishing has forever changed our expectations of how products and information are packaged. Here are some tips from Okidata on how to make your documents stand out.

If you think technology is moving fast, consider the changes on the visual side of things. In the last decade, the rise of desktop publishing has forever changed our expectations of how products and information are packaged. We've seen indisputable proof that good design improves readability, increases interest and sharpens results for everything from newsletters and faxes to letters and proposals.

The News In Brief

Newsletters are popular because newsletters work. As a marketing tool, a newsletter allows you to mix information with advertising. In return for some value, your prospect concedes to some selling.

The problem with most newsletters is they require lots of time to produce. It takes lots of words and pictures to fill four or eight pages. And once you're committed to a quarterly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule you must stick to it to maintain your credibility--whether you have the time or not.

A "news in brief" format offers an alternative--it doesn't require a great deal of information, in fact you can create a complete issue with as little as four or five hundred words. And it won't demand lots of layout and design time--you simply string stories one below the other.

It is a particularly good format for a small business or an individual within a larger organization. The idea is not new--The Kiplinger Washington Letter, for example, has been using a letter-like format effectively for decades. Short, informative blurbs and stories make it a quick, enjoyable, read. Using the typewriter-like typeface, Courier, gives it a letter or telegram-like quality--up to the minute news.

You can create your own version, no matter what your business. A real estate broker might use the newsletter to keep clients, prospects and suspects up-to-date about happenings in the local commercial real estate market. Imagine how effective it would be to meet a prospect, add them to the list, and mail the newsletter a couple of days after that first meeting. In the months to follow, the newsletter will be a great way to stay in touch and build a relationship.

The key to preparing your version is to gather substantive information--not just advertising copy about your products and services. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and think about the factual information or opinion you would enjoy reading. Include tips, techniques and details that help the reader understand the ins and outs of your business.

Customizing it for your audience couldn't be easier--dream up a title and add a photograph or clip art illustration to establish the subject matter. You can repeat the same image issue to issue or change it from time to time. You might even try printing it on a distinctive color to make it that much more memorable--a visual cue for the reader that your latest "news in brief" has arrived.

Visit the Okidata Small Business Resource Center to see samples or to download free templates, courtesy of Okidata.

The Formidable Fax

When you've been doing something for a long time, it's often useful to step back and re-think why and how you're doing it. Your fax cover sheet is no trivial matter. Customers and colleagues are likely to see it many more times than the brochure you spent days or weeks creating or the ad you pay a premium to run in the local newspaper. Following are three ways to use your fax to build your organization's image.

The all-in-one fax
How many times have you received a full-page fax cover sheet followed by a memo-like message? It happens all the time and it is not only a waste of your time and resources, it is a waste of your customers'.

Why not consolidate the two sheets into one? Think of your fax as an ad. Change the focus from the process to the message. For example, instead of using a dry heading such as "Facsimile Transmittal," use a bold headline to grab attention, in this case: "Treat your customers to bigger discounts on smaller orders." Then add an illustration to telegraph the message visually--for example, a rose for a floral supplier. The message text should be large and readable and the closing should ask for a specific action--"Call me today for an extra 5% off!" You can even scan your signature to add a personal touch. The supportive details--the name of the sender, the organization, addresses and phone numbers, and so on--are off to the side, readily available, but out of the way.

The space-saver fax
If you're using your first page as a cover sheet for a longer transmission, try this space-saver format. It includes all of the important details in half the space. Print two cover sheets to a page then cut the sheets in half. When you're ready to send your fax, feed the half sheet through first followed by the first transmission page. Voila--you save half a sheet of paper on both ends and the long-distance time it takes to transmit it.

The "LINK" box
If you want to play up the document you're sending and play down the transmission information, try copying and pasting a little information box to the last page of your finished document--in this case a letter. It provides all of the necessary links in a very small space: names, phone numbers, even a checklist of possible responses.

As with any informational document--include the answers to as many potential questions as possible. In addition to the expected details, include your street address, your e-mail address, and, if you have one, your Web-site URL.

Visit the Okidata Small Business Resource Center to see samples or to download free templates, courtesy of Okidata.

Letter-Perfect Letters

With the growing prevalence of electronic mail, you'd think the days of formal correspondence might be drawing to a close. Or that a conventional business letter in an envelope was yesterday's news. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The fact is, the popularity of electronic correspondence makes conventional mail that much more distinctive. E-mail is a powerful, useful tool, but it cannot replace a carefully composed letter printed on high-quality paper and delivered in a crisp envelope.

Your letterhead is your personal messenger. It represents your demeanor and style. It shows the reader how you view yourself and demonstrates how important they are to you. When you're not meeting face-to-face, it is your one chance to make a first impression--a chance a savvy business person does not underestimate.

This letterhead format can be used one of two ways. You can print your letter complete with your company name and address directly from your printer or you can eliminate the name and address information and use the format to output the letter on preprinted stationery.

The company name can be bold but small, acknowledging that your focus is the message, not your name. An image or graphic can establish the subject and set the mood. Use subject headers to grab the reader's attention with a customer-centered benefit, for example: "Beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes begin with a vision and a plan." Add a date to make it current news; you might even date it for the day you expect it to arrive instead of the day it is sent.

As you add pages, insert a page number, and repeat the reader's name and the date at the top of each page. For a letter longer than a page or two, consider dividing the information using subheads. Indented, numbered or bulleted listings also help to visually organize the information.

Beyond the complimentary close and any other closing notations you wish to make, consider adding a file name. A year from now, when you come across the printed letter, the name of the file, as it is saved to your disk, will make the original far easier to find. The unobtrusive footer repeated at the bottom of each page is filled with important information too. The name of the company is tagged with a line that explains what you do or your organization's mission. Below the tagline is space for you organization's Web site URL, the phone, fax, and e-mail address of the sender, and your street address.

If you want to add a distinctive flair to your letter, consider printing it on a colored paper stock and delivering it in an envelope that is a slightly darker shade of the same color.

Visit the Okidata Small Business Resource Center to see samples or to download free templates, courtesy of Okidata.

A Winning Proposal

Once you've made contact and determined a prospect's needs, one way to lay out the details of your offer is to present a proposal. Everyone, it seems, has their own idea about what to include. For some, a proposal is a friendly, conversational presentation of the company's products and services. For others it is a formal, strictly-followed formula of statistics and figures. But no matter which approach you prefer, all proposals share the same goals--to capture attention, to offer a benefit, and to generate action.

As an example, a proposal from Sampler Air Charter Corporation might sell their executive air charter services to the Example Company. The cover features the name of the prospect, the Example Company, in the most prominent position. It includes four photographs--one to represent each section of the proposal. The same images are then repeated on the first page of each section inside. You can scan your own photographs, use stock photos, or substitute illustrations from a clip art library.

Contents page
Page one is the Contents page--an especially useful feature if your proposal runs more than a few pages. There is also a place here for the necessary legalese such as a copyright notice. At the top of this and all subsequent pages is a header that repeats the name of the company for which the proposal was prepared. Use a clip art image at the bottom of the page to build on the theme--for example, a compass rose symbolizes travel.

"Welcome" page
At the top of page two, include a scaled down version of an image from the cover. This "Welcome" page serves to introduce you and to provide some all-important contact information--your company name, street address, phone and fax numbers, Web address, and the name and e-mail address of the primary contact. If there's a story behind the images you use, there's space for a caption at the bottom to explain it.

Each of the pages that follow are dedicated to a separate topic. Yours will vary, but most types of proposals can be made to fit the format. Near the end, insert scanned-in pictures of your team players. Also use subheads, bulleted and numbered paragraphs, and facts and figures to grab the reader's attention. The back cover should be a repeat of the front cover with the substitution of your organization's name, address, and contact details.

Visit the Okidata Small Business Resource Center to see samplesor to download free templates, courtesy of Okidata.