At Rough Draft Solutions, we have officially declared February as the month of presentations! With one down and three to go, we want to share our excitement with you! And of course, give you the inside scoop on the topics we are speaking on.

This past Monday, Amanda presented to 38 small business owners at the Capital Area Small Business Development Center for their Marketing Mondays Lunch & Learn in Lansing. Marketing Mondays is a program SBDC has started that features a different marketing expert and topic every month. This program was created to give small business owners quick takeaways, tools, and techniques that can help them apply marketing strategies to their businesses and communicate more effectively with their customers.

During her presentation “Grab Their Attention with a Captivating One-sheet,” Amanda provided local business owners the tools they need to create a one-sheet that will enhance their marketing and promotional efforts. Today we’re going to give you the highlights of her presentation and explain what a one-sheet is, the anatomy of a killer one-sheet, and how you can use this tool productively for your business.

What is a one-sheet?

If you have no idea what a one-sheet is, don’t worry, you are not alone. This marketing tool is not well known and has historically been used by authors, speakers, and actors. But we promise, it is relevant for you and your business! In short, a one-sheet is a single-page document that showcases a specific product or service with the goal of promotion.

Think of a one-sheet as a brief snapshot of your business that includes the most relevant and valuable information for a specific target audience. One-sheets need to have a specific goal and call to action in mind (Are you trying to build your email list? Do you want people to download an e-book? Do you want people to set up consulting sessions?), utilize engaging content, and are more personable than standard business brochures.

The focus of a one-sheet is not to tell your entire story or summarize all of your services. It is a tool designed specifically to spark potential clients’ interests through a message that is clear, focused, and concise. Your one-sheet can be used to capture more clients, to show current clients the other services your offer, or as a tool for referral partners to use when they are recommending you. Push yourself to include value-focused content that is centered on the solutions your customers are looking for – not just content about why you’re the best in business.

What does a successful one-sheet include?

You can’t grab someone’s attention with a document that is dull, uninspired, and filled with errors. You also can’t grow your business with marketing pieces that lack focus or are not created correctly. Here is an infographic to summarize the various elements you need to include for a foolproof one-sheet.

Incorporating these elements into your one-sheet will help you communicate your company’s credibility, what your business stands for, and what value you can provide others with your services.

How can a one-sheet be used?

Relatively easy and affordable to pull together, there are several ways to use your one-sheet. You can make it a downloadable PDF on your website, include it with reports, invoices, and proposals, or even bring it to professional events and presentations to give to colleagues and new business connections. At RDS, we give a stack of our one-sheet to our referral partners. That way, if they meet someone who says they need help with content, they have our handy-dandy information readily available.

Overall, a one-sheet can help your business enhance marketing strategies, connect with clients on a personal level, and heighten your brand experience.

If you’re looking for more information, are interested in receiving our free worksheet, or if you want assistance in creating one, feel free to contact us today!