Strategy documents can be hundreds of pages long. But what’s most important about your life science brand should said in just one: the sales sheet.

A sales sheet is a simple, yet powerful document. It tells your audience why your brand matters. At the same time, it builds consensus among leadership inside your organization. Whether it’s a product sales sheet or a case statement doesn’t matter, as long as the language is succinct and compelling. Best of all, it forces you through the most important parts of brand building in four ways:

1. A sales sheet solidifies your position in the marketplace

Summarizing your brand on just one sheet of paper can be surprisingly liberating. The limited space forces you to focus on what really matters most. You have to quantify the value you offer prospects. Done right, what makes your product different from the competition can be condensed into a format that anyone can grasp quickly.

Make the most of your tight word count by sticking to words that matter to your personas. Ideally, a sales sheet should help you see the difference between how you think and talk about your product and how your prospects see it. Make sure you promote what’s important in their minds.

Infographics are another great way to say more in less space. Your sales sheet can help you identify what visuals matter most.

2. You’ll get key team members on the same page

Build consensus among your leadership by giving everyone the opportunity to weigh in during the development process. That way you’ll encourage early buy-in from everyone, from the C-level to the sales and marketing team. You’ll also get everyone speaking the same language, with a consistent voice, tone, and values. That’s much better than having a brand that “lives” in the minds of a few individuals, because it eliminates guesswork, messages and visuals that go “off script.”

3. Sales sheets fuel all other communications

Your sales sheet gives everyone a quick-reference guide to the brand. That makes it as much of a tool for your sales team as it is for prospects. By serving as an overview of your offering, it provides a great starting point for other communications. Production teams become more efficient because they can get other pieces moving faster. That’s especially valuable for multi-channel campaigns. Assets like icons, infographics, and photography also have a huge value that can live way beyond the sales sheet.

4. You can test core messages to inform a larger campaign

The process of crafting a sales sheet gives you the opportunity to try out your message — and your call to action — with select prospects. Use low print runs, email, or other low-cost digital channels to take your campaign through a soft launch. Ask your alpha prospects what works, and how it could be better. Would it help to add an infographic? What more would you want to know? Getting these insights up front can be important before building out and investing a major campaign.

Takeaway

Creating a sales sheet is a valuable branding exercise with tangible results. In the process you’ll identify what matters most to your prospects and build consensus in your internal team. When you’re done, you’ll have a playbook that keeps everyone on the same page and provides a clear guide to larger projects. Review sales sheets regularly — at least once a year — to keep your messaging relevant and CTAs up to date.

Resist the urge to create an all-encompassing spec sheet packed with text. Your goal isn’t to answer every possible question. Your sales sheet should pique the reader’s interest enough to make them want to know more, and guide them to the next stage of the lead generation process.

Related posts:
Marketing Essentials for Up-And-Coming Brands
Life Science Start-Ups: How Much Branding Do You Need? 
Perfecting Your Pitch to Potential Partners