Expressing your uniqueness in print

by Sheryl Roush

REPRINTED FROM NSA PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER MAGAZINE, July/August 2003
Permission to distribute was given by Sheryl Roush, author.

There is a maxim in the speaking industry that your materials should always look at least as good as you are. Ron Kaufman adds to this, "Take that one step further. Your materials should always look as good as you are aspiring to be, and should be given out in a volume that reflects the abundant professional style (in which) you intend to live."

Evolution of one-sheets

As we reinvent ourselves and our industry, clearly showing that we are experts who speak professionally, we need to reinvent our marketing materials as well. Just 20 years ago, speakers used elaborate glossy brochures, and meeting professionals took the time to read them. Today, those multi-page booklets have been condensed, with carefully selected information placed on one page of paper, front and back, thus the name "one-sheets." Today, those brochures have a shorter shelf-life, topics change frequently, and require less reading time by our meeting professionals. Decisions are made quickly, matching the speaker to the audience, topic and fee structure. As the industry changes due to market demand, our materials and how we provide this information needs to change with it.

One of the first advocates of one-sheets, NSA Past President Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE and Cavett Award recipient, explains, "The meetings industry today expects to be able to understand a speaker's value quickly and efficiently. To accomplish this, it has become customary for speakers to summarize their expertise and their topics on one sheet of paper (two sides), hence the name 'one sheet'."

If meeting professionals don't know who you are and what you offer, how can they book you? Based on feedback from our market, most of whom don't know or care about a "one-sheet," the new movement in our profession refers to these dynamic marketing pieces as "professional profiles" (speaker bio) or "topic profiles" (topic overview or outline).

How Americans read

The American Library Association suggests that today, 10 to 15 percent of Americans are non-readers or functionally illiterate (who mostly look at the photos and call the phone number listed for more information). Another 10 to 15 percent are avid-readers who read everything (yes, even every article reprint in your press kit), and are great detail-oriented, bottom-line proofreaders. The remaining 70 to 80 percent are skimmers who browse and scan, enjoy the photos, short body copy, color photos and notice that the paper feels good; these are the quick decision-makers. This means that our messages need to be delivered in bite-sized chunks, bulleted and concise, balanced with colorful graphics. Readers give our printed materials much less than two minutes.

Karl Fritz, veteran Web developer for the entertainment industry, indicates that the average Web viewer scans for only 2.5 seconds. Your information also needs to be only three clicks away from where they enter. Dan Kennedy indicates that from the flap-to-the-trap of an envelope and sales letter, you have only 2.5 seconds. That's fast!

Readers also read in three stages, according to David Ogilvie, in his book Confessions of An Advertising Man. Stage One is Relevance: the reader is looking for the benefits or asking "What's in-it-for me?" This question needs to be answered within seven seconds or the reader easily tosses the piece, clicks or moves on to other things. Stage Two is Confirmation: here the reader is looking to confirm that it's a good thing they kept reading. Credibility and testimonials are important. Stage Three: this is the Call to Action. Tell the reader what you would like them to do as a result of reading your material.

Continuity is key

The true value of any marketing piece is that it supplements the rest of the targeted efforts, offers value and retainable information, from a Web site, demo video, streaming video and direct mail campaigns, etc. The professionalism of these is in the continuity of the design. They need to have a consistent look from piece to piece, and from print to Web, to establish credibility in the eyes of the market. Several elements contribute to this overall image.

Susan Clarke shares, "Your uniqueness is a blend of who you are and who your market is." As speakers, trainers, consultants and authors in today's marketplace, we need to demonstrate our value, offer a depth of information, credibility and uniqueness. Mark LeBlanc, Small Business Success, offers this advice: "Position yourself by concept, instead of by your titles."

Essentials to include

"A well prepared one-sheet, like a 30-second commercial, tells a complete story, including a value proposition (WIIFM factor), a call to action and your vital stats -- all in one. The one-sheet is the surrogate that represents our promise to the meeting planner, bureau or contracting executive," states John Reddish.

Getting the most of your piece, Dottie Walters advocates that "anything other than printed full-color on both sides is a waste of time." To involve your reader, use less copy text in paragraphs and more short lists, cleverly woven together using a theme throughout the piece, creating continuity from the front to the back, from the opening statements, to the subheads, to the call to action.

After your print design is ready, post it as a PDF file on your Web site, making it easy for quick download by meeting professionals who need to make that decision right now! This also enables you to make instant changes, and bureau-friendly (without your contact information) versions. I post my general one-sheets (keynotes and workshops) and the topic-specific sheets on my homepage for immediate access and download.

A well-designed, general one-sheet, professional profile includes:

• Banner benefit statement at the top of layout
• Speaker's name (in a stylized typestyle)
• Full-body or 2/3 view action photo on one side
• Portrait photo on the other side (without a microphone)
• Defining statement of your unique or valuable expertise
• Program descriptions, titles (one paragraph, plus three to five bullet-pointed benefits)
• Results to be generated, bullet pointed under title
• Biography, credentials, publications and experiences
• Testimonials - rave reviews - with their names and organizations
• Signature look and feel, demonstrating your personality (perhaps a moniker)
• Logos for full NSA members (NSA, CAPS, ICF MPI, ASTD, etc.)
• Contact information (toll-free phone number, Web site, email)
• And, if you're going to quote someone famous, quote yourself
  Optional: Your organization's logo placed at the bottom of layout

What's your style?

The "Southern Humorist with a Message," Grady Jim Robinson, CSP, uses photos that reflect his "Slap Me Naked and Hide My Clothes" outlook learned from his 100-year-old Grandma. Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, "The Marble Lady," shows her expertise in multicultural diversity by using marbles in order to teach the value of respect and uniqueness.

Offer value-rich content

Speaker marketing expert Ed Peters uses a rule of thumb for marketing materials, "No matter what your marketing materials look like, would your prospect keep them, even if they never hired you? Do they have value of their own, or do they just promote you?" He recommends, "include something in your marketing materials that your prospect can use for their benefit whether they hire you or not."

Invest in your image, express your uniqueness, and ensure that your materials always look as good as you aspire to be!