Today we’re asking, ‘What do you want your prospect to do?’ Recently, a client, Sarah, phoned me: ‘I’d like a flier done.’

‘OK … but why do you want it?’ I said. She sounded a bit bewildered, and couldn’t really answer me other than to say, ‘Because businesses use them.’ Read on to find out why that was the wrong answer, and what you need to do before you write a flier, article, or anything to do with your business.

I suggested we meet for coffee in the sunny back walled garden of a local bistro – we believe in having a good work-life balance at Cinnamon Edge, so if we can brainstorm in nice surroundings we do so – and it doesn’t feel like work…

Anyway, back to Sarah.

The first thing I wanted to know was, what was her leaflet for? One reason I asked was so I could ascertain if she might be better off with a leaflet, postcard or CD-Rom, for example – or if, indeed, she needed one at all and might benefit from something else.

She was still a bit vague, so I asked her these questions.  Ask them of yourself too:

1. Do you want to build an image of you/your product/your service?
2. Or are you trying to teach your readers with it?
3. Or are you informing your readers of something?
4. Or are you trying to persuade them of something?
5. Or are you selling something from it?
6. If so, is it directly, or as a two-step (they fill in a coupon or call you and you send them more info)
7. And, if so, what are you selling?  Is it a product, or service (or image, even)?

Once Sarah had answered that (it was to promote a new product she was offering), I outlined the different ways she could put the message across.  We’ll cover those in another newsletter.  Sarah chose three ways, one of which was a flier; she didn’t want to use it as a sales form to sell straight off it.

‘OK,’ I said, ‘What do you then want your readers to do?’

She asked me to explain, and these are the options I gave her, with her answers.

• Do you want them to visit your premises?  (Not particularly; I’m short of time.  Would rather they bought from the catalogue.)
• Will you be selling these things from your website too? (We haven’t got one yet, but it’s being built and will be ready in a couple of months’ time.  We will then.)
• Do you want them to call you, or maybe fill in a coupon and ask for further information? (Both options would be fine.)
• Will they be calling for a catalogue, to book, or to get a quote? (Catalogue.)

You’ll also need to consider if your flier is being used to ask for a donation; for you to take out a membership; to promote one product/ service, or several; if it will have pictures, and so on.

When you know what you want your flier for, and whom it’s aimed at, you’ll find it a lot easier to write the copy.

It’s quite a skill to write a good flier – if you don’t know how, or you’re short of time, ask us to do it for you, or come on a workshop to learn how to write effectively for your prospects and customers/clients.