Ever been asked, "What do you do?"

Whenever I'm asked what I do for a living, I always get a lump in my throat. Not that I am embarrassed about what I do, but it's more of a fear of labeling myself with a title that restricts rather than expands my perception of my "capabilities."

Sound familiar?

All companies confront the need to "define" their abilities. And those who succeed don't try to be all things to everyone. That doesn't mean pigeonholing their future, it means highlighting core skills while shedding light on their larger range of abilities. A well written, candid summary of who you are, what you do and why you do it offers assurances to potential customers, partners and shareholders. Vague overviews of generic skills and a lot business doublespeak can be copied off any KINKOS computer.

Whether in the form of a simple brochure or a comprehensive "welcome kit" a capabilties piece is an essential tool for any company looking to build business.

Creating this brochure is not easy, and is virtually impossible to do from "inside" the company. An outside perspective is essential. Ultimately the "insiders" will edit and polish the final product so our job as the designer/copywriter is to make your truth interesting - even arresting - to potential customers. You may be reluctant to approach good customers for a glowing testimonial on how you solve problems and make their jobs easier. We aren't. We make these calls on your behalf -- and we've never been turned down. The results from these conversations authenticate experience and cement a business' integrity.

Make the truth interesting.
What makes your products or service interesting? And don't say nothing! You get up in the morning don't you? You had better get up for a reason. Whether you work on the 50th floor or next to the kitchen sink you are unique and so is your business. Finding what makes you different is central to "positioning" your business and creating interest. If you want the most obvious example, just look at Starbucks Coffee. The coffee is nothing special - but they sure sell it like it is. Beautiful exotic packaging - wonderful environments for meeting and relaxing, comforting music. But the coffee itself is nothing special. Starbucks doesn't sell coffee - Starbucks sells STARBUCKS! And you should sell YOU!

You CAN cut corners - and stay on the path of quality!
I know, I know - this sounds like a building with a shaky foundation, but it's true. For example, you've invested in great photos and great copywriting. In manuscript form, you are thrilled, but your budget to print the brochure is limited. What do we say to this? Simple. If your brochure doesn't work in black in white, color won't save it. So, if it works in black and white, print it that way. You can do beautiful things with black alone. Two color works well too if you know what you're doing! And besides, in today's hypervisual - color-everywhere world, black and white just might be the answer to set you apart!

The future has arrived early.
If you're in business and you don't have a capabilities brochure you're proud of, you are missing a fundamental business tool. You are attending meetings at a disadvantage and you are sending salespeople into the field with a hope and a prayer. So what to do now?

Call David Price, Design Director at Modern Graphics (610-825-8770) to discuss how to make your truth interesting today!