Question on designing a tri-fold brochure...

[SCUBA9097]

I am in the beginning stages of a print marketing campaign and want to get a tri-fold brochure designed.

Would it make more sense for me to have someone design the brochure first and work the copy into the design or go the opposite direction and use the copy to design the feel of the brochure?

How much could I reasonably expect to pay? I have a sample designed and printed off of an inkjet printer, but it needs to be "tweaked" and the original file has since become corrupted.

[Patrysha]

I know what I charge for that sort of work, but that doesn't necessarily reflect what is average within the field because there are really so many options to choose from. If you prefer to work local you can go directly to printers who offer graphic design (though you'll often find they are not as great on the copy as you might want or need) or you can go with a marketing agency if you have a higher end product or service to market. Quality will vary depending on their specialty, much as it will with freelancers. The better you are able to communicate your message and vision, the better whoever you hire will be able to produce it, so be specific in what you are looking for and think not in terms of what you like but who your target market is and what the results are that you expect to get from your brochure. Include things like how you are going to be distributing it (mail, in person, at tradeshows) and who it will be going to (existing customers, prospective customers, random people on the streets of a parade route)...

You can budget for anywhere from $250-$10,000 for a decent, performing brochure design. It varies that much.

Hope this helps.

[954SEO]

Well since the cover may very well sell the brochure, I would say to have intriguing design on the cover along with a few key ideas or selling points, something to entice the reader to continue looking into the brochure. Your copy material could then be placed inside.

I am not a brochure expert. I have designed several and am actually working on one today. Something that says "OPEN ME UP! COOL STUFF INSIDE!" has usually worked for me. Cover=sell, Inside=copy, Back/Last Page=enticing offer/discount/rebate/membership/whatever.

[SCUBA9097]

I guess it would help is I explained my business a bit. I didn't realize that I hadn't done so in my introduction post.

I own a firearms instruction business, which has very unique marketing challenges. It's a service industry that most people don't feel they need until they see the results after attending one of our courses.

We have been in business for almost three years now without doing a single bit of print advertising, aside from an article that was written about us in a newspaper distributed in the tri-state area.

I've just now scanned the hard copy of the brochure layout I have in mind and am currently working on "cleaning up" the scanned image.

[Blessed]

Patrysha's estimate is pretty on-target. As she said - I know what I would charge for that, but it's hard to give you a good estimate.

From a designer's perspective - unless what you are "cleaning up" is really, really good - high resolution, etc... - your designer is going to have to start from scratch. Also as an FYI, tri-folds are not 3 equal sized panels, the panel that folds inside the tri-fold is slightly smaller than the other two panels.

[SCUBA9097]

Thank you everyone for the advise and suggestions! I'm only "cleaning up" the image so that if I send it via e-mail, it gives a more accurate representation of my ideas.

I think Patrysha has given me a pretty good idea of the financial ballpark. I had originally assumed around $200.00, but I now see that is a starting point. After "getting to know" a lot of the regulars on here through reading the posts, I believe I'd much rather have the design work done by someone affiliated with this forum. It's not everyday you get to meet such a collection of fine and talented people gathered in one spot.

[edited to fix typos]

[n_touch]

I know that I am coming into this on the tail end of the conversation, but how will these tri folds be given out? Is this something that you are going to give once they are there, or use this as its own marketing campaign. I know everyone is answering on the design portion, but you said that you have been in business for over three years without print advertising, so I am just wondering why you chose the tri-fold as your first one.

Thanks

[cbscreative]

It looks like I missed this conversation earlier in the game, and Patrysha did a good job of explaining the principles, but I do see one thing to add that Patrysha only touched on a bit. Brochures seldom do very much on their own without something more in the mix. They basically serve as a point of contact.

In a tradeshow for example, the booth provides a point of contact and the brochure provides a memento to help people remember you. Then hopefully you have a system in place to gather a prospect list. By the time you contact people in this scenario, they are more likely to respond to your offer.

When you choose someone to design the flyer, there are graphics people who would just design it according to your specifications. As you can see from Patrysha's, Jenn's (Blessed), and my own response, we are marketing people and would be discussing with you how this fits into a bigger plan so you're doing much more than just handing out beautiful pieces of paper hoping to make a profit.

[SCUBA9097]

The brochures will be given out at trade shows and also placed on the counter of a gun shop that we are loosly partnering with by offering training courses in their building.

We rarely get the "send more info" request, however I was thinking (I know, first mistake) of placing a personalized letter, brochure and a few business cards into an envolope. We're not going to send these out as a "cold call" marketing product.

[Blessed]

For the use you are putting these too I'll make one other addendum to Steve's (CBS Creative's) note - about how we marketing people would be talking to you about how to fit this brochure into your overall marketing plan - whatever you do please make sure you have these printed on quality paper, with a quality process, machine folded and that they look professional. It is possible to have this done without spending a ton of money and it is essential. I've often wondered how many small business owners with great ideas, products and services have lost out on business by having do-it-myself, marketing materials that scream "UNPROFESSIONAL" to the general public.

[SCUBA9097]

I've always subscribed to the "if you can't afford it to look it's best, it's better off waiting until you can" philosophy. Nothing will kill the image of a professional service organization quicker than poorly done materials. After all, clients don't have a physical product that they can examine!

[Blessed]

It's so refreshing to hear someone in your position say that :) I can't tell you how often I've talked and talked and talked trying to convince a small business owner (or even a cheap larger business owner) of the same thing!

[cbscreative]

It's so refreshing to hear someone in your position say that :) I can't tell you how often I've talked and talked and talked trying to convince a small business owner (or even a cheap larger business owner) of the same thing!

Yes, it is refreshing, and there are plenty of business people that do get it. They're also the ones who succeed.

Jenn, for your own sanity, you may want to get a little jaded. I tend to say things like that only once. If they don't believe it or get it, you're not likely to change their mind. They might come around later, but not often. When they fail or things don't go as well as expected, they seem to find some excuse rather than blame themselves or admit they were wrong.

Consider it a blessing for those who know better. If everyone "got it" then success would be even more challenging than it already is.

[KristineS]

I have to second what Jenn said above, get the brochure printed on the best quality paper and with the best quality print job that you can. First impressions can be deadly, and I know from personal experience that how something looks and feels in your hand can cause someone to form a negative impression of your business.

Also, back to one of your original questions, do you design and work the copy around the design or the other way around, I think it varies. Since I'm a writer and not a designer, I tend to write first and then my designer comes up with images and graphics to suit what I wrote. (She also generally tells me I wrote too much, but that's another story.) Once we have a draft version, we tighten the copy and make sure the images and graphics are in line with both the subject of the brochure and the other collateral materials that exist for our companies. Consistency of message and look is important. If this is your first piece, then you are setting the look of your companies print communications for the future, so make sure you get something that looks professional and is representative of your business. It's almost better to have no collateral material at all then to have collateral materials that vary widely from one to the other. You want a unified message and appearance.

[Dan Furman]

As a copywriter, I usually prefer the design to be there first, so I know how big my "canvas" is, where pics will be, etc. It's much easier for me to write to fit the design than for the designer to cram my words in. I'd rather know up front that that little pic in the middle of page 2 was really important/etc.

Pricing is all over the place. I typically charge $350-$500 for trifold copy.

[SCUBA9097]

Another issue I started wondering about tonight is continuity. Yep, the dreaded "C" word. Before I delve into that though, let me explain why I'm asking so many questions in regards to costs, procedures, etc. It's not that I'm trying to drill for free information.

Omega Firearms Training (OFT) has been in business for three years now and we've done pretty well, I wasn't eating steak tartar, but especially considering that our business has been marketed entirely through word of mouth and website presence, I can't complain.

This past year my health has hit a massive roadblock. It's never good when the specialists tell you point blank that they are "not sure if they will find a diagnosis in time". If you look at the photo on the OFT website and compare it to the photo in my profile here, would you honestly believe that those photos were taken only a year apart? Long story short, my finances are beyond stretched with medical care, testing, etc.

Now back to my point about continuity. In my mind, it would seem important to have the written marketing material(s) drafted by the same author to present a consistent feeling and flow across the board. What I had assumed to be an upper limit to budget for the brochures seems to actually be a lower limit. Then I would need to consider having that same author revamp the copy on the website, as I'm not so sure it imparts the "feel" I was going for to begin with.

I simply can not say thank you enough for your input and guidance. It looks like I may have to nix the idea of the tri-folds for a while, or at least until business begins to pick back up a bit. It's a vicious catch-22.

[KristineS]

Sorry to hear about your health issues. As someone who ended up in the hospital 3 times in two years with various problems, I can understand how frustrating it can be and how much it can cost. I hope things are better soon.

As for continuity, it is a big issue. Having the same message is critical, and it needs to be the same message on all venues. A consistent message will do a great deal to help sell your business.

[Blessed]

You are right Ted - consistency of message is extremely important. I think you are wise to think that the copywriting should all be done by the same person.

I am sorry to hear about your health issues. We had a close run with my Dad several years ago - the finances were definitely an issue!

[Spider]

As this thread went along, I felt business considerations were being unwisely set aside, but this was a thread about design and copy, and the costs involved, so did not interrupt. However, these last few posts have begun to sound decidedly damaging to business that I feel should not go unchallenged.

Regarding "unprofessional" marketing material, especially in light of a business owner having to choose between cheap (ie. unprofessional) and no marketing.

Let me put this graphically --

1. Presently the business is chugging along at level 5.

2. Proposed advertising, if done professionally and everything else is perfect, is expected to move the business to level 10.

3. What would be the result if, to save money, the advertising was unprofessionally done? Could the business be expected to rise only to, say, level 6 or 7? Or would it be in danger of falling back to level 4 or 3?

4. IOW, would the unprofessional advertising material actually damage the business or just not be as effective as professional material?

In considering your answer, please take into account that everything the business is currently doing to maintaina a steady level 5 will continue, so that if no additional advertising is done, the result would be level 5.

The decision, therefore, is --

A. Do nothing and stay at level 5
B. Advertise professionally and move to level 10
C. Advertise unprofessionally and move to 5 + ? or 5 - ? = level ?

What level of business would choice C produce, in your opinion?

[Patrysha]

Really, there are too many variables to make it a clear cut decision. Going for a "professional" look to improve response rates is a generality, not a given. There are some products and brands that do better with a homespun image in their marketing and package than with a smoother, more polished image. Adding polish to their marketing might actually reduce response rates. Some of the best direct mail advertising looks incredibly unprofessional & hokey, but it works. The key is not in how something is presented but that the presentation is a market & message match. It's not about the expense, but the expectations. You can make as many mistakes going too luxe as going too low key.

[Spider]

... Going for a "professional" look to improve response rates is a generality, not a given. There are some products and brands that do better with a homespun image in their marketing and package than with a smoother, more polished image. Adding polish to their marketing might actually reduce response rates. ...Thank you, Patrysha - my thoughts entirely.

[KristineS]

It's true that there are businesses where kistchy or hokey or a little less professional will work, but I don't think you can ever go wrong in trying to create the best presentation you can. You could probably build up a business by hand printing signs and putting them in people's mailboxes, and it would probably work in some cases, but is that the most professional way to present your business?

It's also possible that there may be other things that can be done that would be less expensive and still be able to move the business forward. It doesn't necessarily have to be an either or proposition. Maybe it isn't in the budget to do the brochures so they present the right message and professional look, but it's possible there are other options that could be explored that would bring in business and increase revenue so the brochures could be done.

What about press releases to the local papers and business magazines? What about checking with the local tv stations and seeing if they're looking for an expert on gun safety? Most local stations do, particularly around hunting season. What about checking with the local Friends of the NRA chapter or the NRA itself? What about checking and making sure the company is listed in all directors of gun instructors and companies offering gun safety instruction? What about hooking up with local hunter safety instructors in case someone wants shooting instruction as well? There are a lot of things that can be done that can help build up the business in a professional manner without putting out material that isn't ready for prime time. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

[Patrysha]

I I don't think you can ever go wrong in trying to create the best presentation you can.

Very true, it's just the word best that may be up for interpretation in any given project...again it's picking the right message and look for the market...

It takes a lot of work to get a homegrown look just right...

[Blessed]

...The key is not in how something is presented but that the presentation is a market & message match. It's not about the expense, but the expectations. You can make as many mistakes going too luxe as going too low key.

Patrysha does hit the nail on the head here.

For the most part - a "professional" look is required to improve response rates.

In this particular businesses case I think the "unprofessional" and "cheap" or "low-end" printed marketing materials would probably drop the response rate for Ted. His website, while it could be improved, is polished. His businesses is geared towards those who would generally be more responsive to high-quality marketing materials.

Similarly - for the gentleman with the handyman business who was considering a booth at a tradeshow that you (Spider) recommended a cheap brochure to hand-out with a nicer brochure saved in reserve - I think that would have a negative effect on his business. Maybe not on his response rate - but definitely on the quality of his customers.

Are there businesses that the unprofessional & hokey direct mail pieces help? Yes, the local farmers market, the corner quilt shop, and I'm sure there are more - but I contend that those who benefit from that type of marketing are becoming fewer.

Your market is determined by your approach to them. I've seen a local resale/consignment/boutique shop evolve from barely making it - only selling the consignment items and a few of her boutique things to selling her consignment items to a higher class market who also can afford to buy those boutique and specialty items she stocks - part of the evolution has been a change in her marketing materials - she's gone from colored cardstock with black ink to high-gloss postcards, well designed eblasts and more.

ideally "professional" marketing materials draw a higher class of clientele.

[Steve B]

"I don't think you can ever go wrong in trying to create the best presentation you can."

I know of at least one instance where this is not true. A friend of mine has a poop scooping business. He has found he gets better results with a less professional piece that he prints on his home printer in one color versus a professionally done piece. I guess people might think he's charging too much if it looks like he can afford slick full-color marketing material (which he can). I would also think the same is true of people that do basic lawn cutting or small handyman jobs also.

[Blessed]

Exactly Steve B - sometimes, for some businesses that type of presentation is simply better than glossy, full-color brochures. But outside of those instances - you really can't go wrong in trying to create the best presentation you can. For example the original poster's business will benefit more from glossy, full-color marketing materials than from the one color do-it-at-home materials your friend benefits from.

[Spider]

Well, if no-one else will answer the question, I'll have a go.


The decision, therefore, is --
A. Do nothing and stay at level 5
B. Advertise professionally and move to level 10
C. Advertise unprofessionally and move to 5 + ? or 5 - ? = level ?
What level of business would choice C produce, in your opinion?

Patrysha said, "Going for a "professional" look to improve response rates is a generality, not a given." - I agree with that.

Jen said, "In this particular businesses case I think the "unprofessional" and "cheap" or "low-end" printed marketing materials would probably drop the response rate for Ted." - I agree with that.

I think it is has been stated or hinted at by everyone who posted that a professional job of tri-fold brochures would improve Ted's response rate. I don't think anyone has actually stated that they think the response rate Ted is currently getting from his other marketing endeavors would be lowered by using an unprofessional brochure.

Therefore, if Ted is currently achieving a 5 and the professional brochure could produce a 10, an unprofessional brochure would not reduce the current 5 to something lower. That is to say, the worst an unprofessional brochure could achieve is nothing. And it could possibly improve Ted's business to a 6 or 7.

I think it is a shame that the "help" that was offered has resulted in Ted abandoning the project and so has not opened his business to *some* improvement because he chose not to meet the expense of a totally professional job.

I say, to succeed in business you do what you can with what you have. If you cannot pay $2,000 for a topnotch brochure, then go with a $300 or a $500 plan if that's all you can afford.

[Patrysha]

But Tom had indicated earlier this was more than his budget. I think an excellent brochure that delivers could be produced for $500...but for less than that is pushing it.

And I do think that unprofessional brochures can handle a previously established market image...but worse than that it is harder to overcome no image than it is a poor image. You can completely erase first impressions. It's unlikely to improve business at all if it's not done well.

[Dan Furman]

To be honest, most "on the surface" unprofessional marketing you see is usually professional marketing purposely trying to be unprofessional. McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" springs to mind.

Truly unprofessional marketing is usually garbage. It's not "raising it to a 7" or whatnot. It's simply garbage.

[Spider]

You do what you can with what you have - and if Ted only has $200, as stated, I think he should do what he can with that, not do nothing. Even if he gets a $190 design job and runs them off on his own computer 5 at a time. I understand your point, Patrysha, but carry your point further - if 10 brochures can win one new client, then profit from that one client pays for 20 more brochures whcih gets another new client that pays for another 20 brochures and that gets a couple more new clients, so he can pay for 50 brochures.... carry this as long as is necessary to scrap the crappy brochure and get a half-decent one for $400 next time and then print more, distribute harder, win more customers, make more profit, get an upscale redsign and more distribution and more custoers and more profit....

But not abandon trifolds just because one cannot afford the best right now. You gotta do what you can with what you have.

[Blessed]

You do what you can with what you have....

Yes - but instead of going with a "crappy brochure" he could have done a 4x6 or 5x8 high gloss postcard that would have been able to convey the same message the tri-fold brochure would have and for less money. That way he keeps his consistent image (even if it's only a perceived image from the word-of-mouth "advertising" he's gotten) of being "professional" intact AND you build on it.

or - you table the project for a month and work your butt off to get the other $300 you need to do the tri-fold right and then you do that.

Ted is at the beginning of his print marketing campaign - it's a perfect time to shop around, figure out how actual costs line up with your expectation - figure out your budget and then get enough money together to make it happen.

[Spider]

That's a good suggestion, in my view, Jen, and one I would certainly consider. I was working on the basis that Ted had considered his options and had decided that a tri-fold brochure was what was needed to do he job he rquired. Of course, a postcard cannot carry the information a tri-fold can carry, and that might have been a factor. Only Ted knows what the objective is.

[Blessed]

And it is one I would have offered had Ted been a client of mine and we started discussing budget and came up against that roadblock. And while you cannot put as much information on a postcard as you can a trifold - you can still drive traffic to your website and provide contact information on a postcard - those are the essential things.

[SCUBA9097]

I was initially leaning more towards the tri-fold idea for several reasons:

1.) The amount of information I could broadcast.

2.) A close competitor had recently mailed post cards to everyone who's name appeared in the paper (a requirement for applying for a license to carry concealed here) and it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths (I'd rather not have that psychological association).

3.) A tri-fold is easier to slip into an envelope, providing a lot of latitude for me to include additional marketing materials (personalized letter, stickers, etc.) as well as the latitude in presenting the right image that I've worked to cultivate.

4.) I didn't think having a countertop or trade show display containing post cards "looked right" to me, as compared to a display containing brochures.

You have all provided a lot of food for thought, much more than I'd anticipated...

[Steve B]

I use something called a Rack Card for my businesses. It's the same size as a brochure, so it fits in the same racks and fits nicely in a business envelope. It's not a tri-fold so it holds less information and costs less to print. I was getting them printed (gloss, full-color, quality stock) for as low as 3.2 cents each (I get 5,000 at a time). That's cheaper than a B&W Photo copy.

[Blessed]

The rack card is a good other option - because of the layout you can even get a bit more info than what you do with a postcard too.

Ted - all of your reasons are very valid points for going with a tri-fold vs. a postcard. One other thought though - have you considered a half sheet flier? A brochure is classier - but the flier would meet all of the "requirements" you laid out in your list of reasons for choosing a tri-fold over a postcard.

[KristineS]

But not abandon trifolds just because one cannot afford the best right now. You gotta do what you can with what you have.

This presupposes, as I pointed out earlier, that brochures are the only thing he can do, or the only thing that will raise his profile and bring in new customers. It isn't either he does a brochure that's less than professional or he does absolutely nothing. It's he chooses not to do a brochure now while doing other things to bring in revenue and then gets a brochure made when he can afford to do something that reflects in the best way possible on his business.

I agree that you have to do what you can with what you have, but if you spend some time thinking strategically, you can figure out how to create the most professional image you can with what you have, not settle for something that may not reflect well on your business because it's all you can afford.

[JerryM]

How much would it cost for magnets? I have a Dominos magnet on my fridge from years and years ago.
I don't have any tri-fold brochures still around from that long ago.

just an idea.

[craigb]

Hi there,
Have you thought about simple business cards that can be printed up in large volume and
distributed at the local gun stores. Just make a deal with the store owners to leave your cards
and you will return the favor by placing advertisment or referals at your location as need be.

[SCUBA9097]

@ CraigB: I have a metric ton of high quality business cards. Most gun shops in the are have instructors "on staff", meaning that they are shop employees that teach on the side. Most of these instructors don't have the best reputations and speaking frankly, we blow them out of the water. There is only only one major competitor in the area and they recently did a massive image overhaul. To give credit where it's due, they did an amazing job with it and are now attracting a sizable portion of the local market, but I've got a few new tricks up my sleeve that I'm working on to bring that share back my way.

@ JerryM: Since reading your post, I took a gander at my fridge today and noticed that I also have a ton of magnets on there. Not shooting your idea down at all, but I realized that I had completely forgotten about them as the years have gone on and they became "background clutter" for a lot of businesses that don't have any relevancy to the kitchen. One idea I have been thinking about for the past few months is vinyl stickers. It's something that could be stuck on gun cases, rear windows of cars, etc.

At the current time, we have a strong reputation and our name is out there, I'm just looking to do the brochures to get more information about us into the hands of prospective clients. One of the ideas I'm planning on implementing in particular will put us leaps and bounds above the competition... once the public becomes aware of it.

[KristineS]

At the current time, we have a strong reputation and our name is out there, I'm just looking to do the brochures to get more information about us into the hands of prospective clients. One of the ideas I'm planning on implementing in particular will put us leaps and bounds above the competition... once the public becomes aware of it.

Don't forget that brochures are not the only way to get information out there. I'm a big advocate of press releases, or offering yourself out as a local expert to the newspapers or television stations in your area. Guns and firearm instruction are hot topics in a lot of areas, and the local newspeople would probably love to have someone who could weigh in on these issues.

You could also look for hunting, fishing or outdoor forums in your area, or even gun forums, which I believe also exist. Spend some time there answering questions and position yourself as an expert on the forum. Some forums will also let you advertise, and a banner ad might be a cheaper option than a top of the line brochure. It also would require less art.

I've already recommended you look into hooking up with local bloggers as well, or perhaps starting a blog of your own. There is a lot of misinformation out there about guns and a voice that is measured and knowledgeable could do a lot of good. Plus I think people have a lot of questions about how instruction works. A blog could allow you to spell out how the whole process works in detail.

Sometimes you just have to get innovative. You never know if something is possible until you ask.

[cbscreative]

Ted, sorry to hear about your health battle, and I hope you keep fighting and win.

Dan said something I was thinking and he was the only one to point that out. Sometimes what you think is "unprofessional" is deliberately done that way by a professional. If it's the best way to reach your market, then it works. Using SteveB's example, the pooper scooper flyer could be made to deliberately look like it was run off on a home copier. The text could appear like it was quickly thrown together, but really be a tightly focused message.

With that said, I have a potential idea that could get the word out on your business inexpensively without doing any "damage" to the way your market perceives you. Perhaps gun shops already have a huge stack of paper targets now, but would they be willing to give your's out since it won't cost them anything? You could have them printed on cheap paper with your Ω logo as the bullseye and web address at the bottom. A simple message saying something like "Gun safety saves lives! Find out more at omegafirearmstraining.com" would be all you need. You could have thousands of these printed economically and focus on having a great site to gain more sales.

Take it one step further and include a PDF on your site so people can print their own targets.

[n_touch]

Very nice idea CBS, I would have never thought of that. You want your advertising to stick out, and from that there is no way that it wouldn't, and in fact would be something that many people would remember. I always think back the the quiznos commercial with the obnoxious little hamster and think how much I hated that commercial. The only problem is now is that it is at least 6 yrs old and I can't forget it.

[CloptonCapital]

I like Vistaprint, if you want something more specific looking I would just go to elance to get it done.

[cbscreative]

I would just go to elance to get it done.

We've had a lot of discussions here about things like that.

Although elance is probably one of the few respectable sites using the reverse auction model, there are still many problems with it for most business owners. Perhaps the biggest one is you have to know exactly what you need so you can spec it out for bidding. Most people trying to run their business and be their best at what they do will find it counter productive to design their own materials to the point where they can put it out to bid for tweaking.

And while I don't doubt you can find some good artists on bid for work sites, the ones who are good enough to provide real value will find that method of seeking work degrading. Probably almost all artists, myself included, tried this at one time and quickly discovered it yields very little in return for the time invested. I liken the projects you post on these sites to be like throwing a piece of meat into a cage full of hungry animals.

Generally speaking, the clients attracted to this model are just looking for a deal, and the artists are too inexperienced or desperate to know any better. These sites do serve at least one useful purpose though. It gives the tire kickers a place to go so the more qualified artists can concentrate on clients who appreciate the value.

[Blessed]

... Generally speaking, the clients attracted to this model are just looking for a deal, and the artists are too inexperienced or desperate to know any better. These sites do serve at least one useful purpose though. It gives the tire kickers a place to go so the more qualified artists can concentrate on clients who appreciate the value.

I like this way of looking at it Steve! I get frustrated with tire-kickers!

[Tri-Win]

Looks like everyone here has you on the right path. I would like to add this thought though. Tri-Fold brochures double as mailers very effectively. If you get a good designer who knows direct mail you can get a creative eye catching piece with a blank address block on the back. That way could hand them out at trade shows or send them out as a mailing. Printing one piece that can serve two functions can save some money.

You might consider building these with the idea of driving your customers to a landing page of some kind. If you can get them to go to the web portal by offer an incentive and get an email or address you are starting to build an opt-in mail/email list that can be invaluable later.