Print • What will you leave-behind?

Posted by Kristin Farrell on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

It is important to make an impact on clients and leave a lasting impression. One way you can achieve this is through a print piece called a leave-behind. A leave-behind, as the name suggests, is a part or sampling of your portfolio that is left with a potential client(s) after a meeting.  It should be a standout piece that will continue to speak to your potential clients about you/or your company. They can be anything from brochures, self-promotional flyers, creative packages with key portfolio elements, or printed images. Some leave-behinds are more interactive and elaborate, depending on time and budget allowances. For example, a custom designed and packaged CD or DVD or a nicely printed color brochure with pockets for accompanying CDs and business card will keep your potential client engaged longer than a business card can.

For example, we just completed a successful leave-behind for our client, SustainU. (picture of project included) This brochure and DVD package are made of recycled stock and printed with environmental inks to reflect the values of the client. This leave-behind piece was distributed to hundreds of people at a large convention to showcase and, give examples of the capabilities of SustainU.

Some great tips on creating a leave-behind from Zan Jones, founder of SalesJaz:

• Make it juicy! Think of some great facts about your business and how you approach them. An insurance agent might leave behind an article on “7 Facts that Contribute to Auto Insurance Cost.”
• Go for functionality. Office supplies or business aids that your client will use on a daily basis will keep your name alive. Mouse pads, pens, or post-it notes with your logo are hard for people to throw away because they are usable.
• Know who you are. Make sure the leave behind accurately reflects your business and has obvious tie-in to the product or service you provide. For example, a carpet cleaning company might leave a calendar with monthly stain cleaning tips to help maintain a spot free carpet.
• Let your business card do the work. A car dealer’s business card might have “5 Things to Consider When Buying a Car” facts printed on the back. I worked with someone at Hershey Chocolate who taped a small Hershey bar on the back of her cards. Create a reason for your business card to be saved.
• Use pictures and market to the pain. Think about the pain your clients might experience without your product or service. An attorney might leave behind a brochure with a photo of a smiling family and list reasons to have a will in place.
• Wait until you actually leave. That’s the idea of the “leave behind.” You don’t want the client to be checking out your golden nuggets of information while you are still talking to them. It has to be enticing enough for them to look at it, read and save after you have left.

Coming to the table with the proper marketing materials such as a leave-behind will ensure that you remain in your potential client’s mind long after the initial meeting and will help your business rise above the competition. There is great value in this, and goes a lot further than just a business card.  We would love to create a custom leave-behind for you, please contact us for more info.