Sales collateral

On March 31, 1997, India Railways had 1,583,614 regular employees.

If India Railways bought all their regulation railway boots from you at Au$10 a pair (that's 3,167,228 feet, equal opportunity policies notwithstanding), you'd make Au$15,836,140.
In one sale.

So why don't yo sell your shoes in India? Probably because all the leads are generated, all prospects qualified, all relationships developed and all sales closed by your people, with not much help from your website or customer service systems.

Where it comes to sales collateral, it should work hard by itself, not merely be a back-up. It should - theoretically - be comprehensive enough to sell on its own. Decisions to buy are often made when the buyer has a quiet moment to reflect, or when a team of buyers debate the purchase around a table. Your sales team is not present at either of those moments.

To get the most out of your sales collateral, it should include:

• Clear PowerPoint presentations with clear notes attached - clear enough that buyers can make sense of them even when you're not there
• Clear statement of features and benefits. If you work in an industry where buyers use a standard checklist, incorporate this into your collateral, showing the advantages of your product whilst being honest about what it can't do
• For technical products, clear and comprehensive technical specifications
• A defined, usable ordering process. Imagine your buyer is extremely shy, and prefers to order everything online or over the phone. Remove all obstacles to him or her using your system to order. See, for example, Dell.

Resources

Cliff Atkinson's 'Beyond Bullet Points'. How to create much more interesting, impactful presentations

Example of where India Railways might choose to purchase its boots.

Brian Eisenberg, 'Buying: the Flip Side of Selling'.