Introduction
The communication between drink brands, wholesalers, and their accounts can be a vital aspect of growing your brand.
When beverage brands have proactive relationships with their stakeholders, good things happen to the bottom-line. More drinks are ordered, sales associates push your product, and account managers advocate for you.
There is so much competition that you need to be on top of your game. One way to do that is by having a professional sell sheet. A sell sheet will help you get ahead of the game and win over and make it easier to talk about your product in the market.
What is a sell sheet?
A sell sheet is a one-page document that summarizes the key elements of a product. It usually includes three key aspects: high-quality images, strong copy, and a simple call-to-action.
- Strong imagesFull-color. Never in black and white.An image of the product in its bottle (or can or cup)Logos, clearly visibleAlternative sizes (if the bottles are different shapes)In-aisle displays
- Great copy A brief description of the productIngredients BenefitsA data visualization
- Simple call-to-actionHow does the account order more?
A sell sheet should also contain useful information such as alcohol content, net weight, price per unit, production date, and batch number (if applicable). Each bottle/can/cup should be labeled with this information for easy reference by wholesalers, retailers, and on-premises accounts.
The elements of a good sell sheet.
The best sell sheets are designed with visual appeal at the forefront.
If a sell sheet is too cluttered, it can be difficult to read. No one wants to read 900 words about your product. Edit the copy so that the reader who may only want to spend a few minutes with your document get get through it twice.
And get rid of those cell-phone pictures and get it down to one or two high-quality images.
A good sell sheet should also be easy to distribute and easy to update as new products are introduced into your portfolio or existing products are removed from your portfolio.
Why are sell sheets important?
The sell sheet is not something to “set and forget.”
Sell sheets are one of the most powerful marketing tools in a brand's arsenal. They can be used to pitch to retailers, restaurants, and consumers. You can use them to promote a new product or event. You can distribute them quickly and efficiently to quickly give an overview about your product. In short, they help you get your brand out there in the market.
Not having a sell sheet is like not having a resume while applying for a job. Only the luckiest among us can afford it.
How to distribute a sell sheet.
Once you have created your sell sheet, it is time to distribute it. There are many ways to do this and they vary based on the type of product you are selling. Some methods include:
- Printing and mailing to retailers and restaurants that carry your alcohol beverages
- Creating a Dropbox (or similar) and emailing your on-/off-premesis account managers
- Hand-delivering your sell sheet through your team.
It sounds simple, and it is.
But just because it is simple, doesn’t mean everyone is doing it. The fact is, in the alcohol business, no one is going to slap your wrist for only having digital copies of your material. In fact, most people working your brand just want something.
(Plus, a sell sheet is a digital tool. And giving your stakeholders the tools to market brand over email is a very-2022 thing to do.)
Whether you're pitching retailers, restaurants or consumers, having a professional-looking sell sheet will help you close the deal
The benefits of having a sell sheet are two-fold. First, they can help you pitch your product to retailers and consumers. If you're trying to get your product into stores, having a professional-looking sell sheet will give them confidence in your brand. Similarly, if you're looking to sell directly to consumers or get press coverage, a well-designed sell sheet will help you close the deal.
Second (and more importantly), having an attractive and effective sell sheet makes it easier for people who see it to understand what's special about what you've created so that they can share that information with others. In short: no one will market your brand better than you can, but if you can’t be there in person, make sure that your stakeholders have the next best thing!
Conclusion
Sell sheets are a great tool for alcohol beverage brands to use when pitching retailers, restaurants or consumers. They are affordable and easy to create and can help you close the deal by making it easier for buyers to understand what your brand is all about.
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Need help creating sell sheets and marketing your brand? Contact Brian at BFX Commerce for a free consultation.
