In this section we’re going to look at all the different collateral you use to talk about your business to a new prospect.

Search around your office and pull out a copy of every single thing that you can find which has been printed or used electronically to describe your business services and products. Take a couple coffees with you as this might take some time!

So the sort of things that you should be looking for are printed collateral – these might include business cards your brochure case studies printed service or product sheets, notepads.

Other things should definitely include in your collateral list are your business website and any other listings that you have on external websites such as Yellow Pages, Hot Frog, Localist, Finda et cetera.

Now have a think about other information that you send out regularly these could be newsletters you maybe write a business blog, or articles that go in the newspaper or maybe a specialist magazine – add them to the list.  Do you also have other things you do like videos? Or maybe articles on LinkedIn.

How about social media? Do you have a business profile on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram there are many more of course so just check all of these and add to the master list.

Which works well for your business?

Now the critical thing is to see whether or not these marketing communications have been effective for your business. Look at the design of each one, is it a consistent? Is your logo, branding and strapline the same on every single one?  What about those external listings websites like the Yellow Pages are you using the same words to describe your business in every single place and what about the website landing pages are they all the same?

If you don’t have firm data, just give yourself a score out of 10 for each item listed.

How often do you send out newsletters, articles and other expert updates? Who writes them? What topics do they generally cover?  How about press releases?  Do all of these align with your business mission statement that we discussed in the previous chapter?

I am expecting that you will find some inconsistencies. This is normal. Make a list of the different items and those you perceive that need to be improved and plan who is going to do this and by when.

If there are obvious gaps in your list which you know should be filled, add them – or make it a “wish list” of marketing materials you’d like to have available.

Read the other posts from this series here!