Creating Sales Aids That Make a Difference

By Madison Taylor
July 1, 2020
two men pointing at a laptop screen facing away from the camera perspective

In the process of turning strangers into customers, marketing is only half the battle. The second half is sales, and it can be an art form. You need to capture people’s attention and keep them interested, and that means conveying the benefits of your product concisely and convincingly. That’s not easy, which is where sales aids come in.

What’s a Sales Aid?

Simply put, a sales aid is a resource that sales reps keep on hand to boost their presentations. They’re usually visual-first, focused on captivating graphics and data with only minimal, concise copy to accompany the pictures.

Sales aids are most commonly associated with complicated industries with intricate pricing models or dozens of SKUs, where a sales prospect can’t be expected to remember every aspect of the products you offer. But a sales aid can be helpful in any industry. Here’s how to build a good one.

Stand Out

No matter how crowded your industry is, there’s something that makes you stand out from all the rest. That’s what you need to focus on. A good sales aid isn’t just about explaining your products perks and how it works — your customers are going to shop around, and they’ll see plenty of those — it’s about what you’re doing better than everyone else.

Focus on Pain Points

There are a few different angles to take when you’re selling your product, but the one you need to focus on for the most impactful results is the problem that you’re solving. There will be plenty of time for you to get to the nuts and bolts of how your product works, but you need to start with your main pain point front and center.

Check out this sales aid from Scotts lawn care products:

ScottsVideoSalesFolder

Scotts couldn’t possibly be more direct with this brochure. The entire first page is dedicated to a common customer question that Scotts can address. The inside of the brochure has plenty of other information about the specifics of lawn chemicals, but the pain point comes first.

Make Your Data Look Good

Depending on your industry, you might need to include a lot of granular data about your product and its benefits. The results of scientific studies, breakdowns of your pricing model, comparing similar SKUs, and so on are important, but huge tables of text are a surefire way to make a prospect’s eyes glaze over.

If you’re going to include data, make it simple to read. Turn it into a graph that’s obviously labeled. Use brand colors to highlight important comparisons. And add a short piece of copy that explains the main takeaway from each graph in case your customers aren’t visual types.

Take Your Sales to the Next Level

A well-crafted sales aid is what you leave behind when your sales meeting is over. It’s what lingers in your prospects’ minds after the face-to-face part has ended, and it’s what will prompt them to call you back when they’re ready to make a decision. If you can supplement your message with a good sales aid, you’ll stand to gain a lot.