Before you begin pitching your invention ideas to potential investors or manufacturers, you need to have a proper presentation prepared. Essential ingredients to a successful pitch include a website, statistical and financial data, a business plan, and a sell sheet or brochure with an overview of the product’s function, design, and marketability.
A good sell sheet is a concise document that includes enough images to adequately display the product’s purpose. The brochure should convey the pertinent information without overwhelming the reader. This is an instance where less is more, and good design sense can determine whether the product ends up on an executive’s desk or garbage can.
How to make a Product Sell Sheet
Good elements to include in a product sell sheet are:
1. The invention’s name or title.
2. A short, bold, and catchy headline or tagline.
3. Introduction text, a short paragraph describing the product.
4. Detailed description. This is more detailed information on the product and the problems it solves. Though it is more detailed, keep it brief.
5. Potential markets and outlets that your product lends itself to. For instance, if it’s a kitchen gadget, perhaps the best solution is a TV promotion.
6. Images displaying your product. Again, only include images that help sell your idea. Too many useless images will look like a bad collage.
It is recommended that you hire a designer to put together a layout for you, however it is not necessary. If you are computer savvy, you should be able to design an acceptable sell sheet for your self. Just remember, when in doubt Keep It Simple! A good start would be your favorite word processor, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Type up your content so that you know what elements you need to work into your design.
Sell Sheet design
Next start with a series of small squares. Draw several 2 inch rectangles, and begin sketching in where you want to place your content. This method allows you to visualize the layout without being distracted by the fine details. After you develop a layout you are happy with, you can move back to the computer with either your word processor again or a more robust publishing program. There are several options out there, but a good free option is Inkscape. This is an easy to use vector image program that is open source.
Putting it all Together
After you have created the final layout, have several copies printed and convert it to an easily distributable file such as .pdf. This will allow you to email copies to manufacturers upon request. If you create a website, you can also make it available for download, just in case you need to access it away for home or if someone needs to pass it around the office without printing multiple copies.
As you can see, creating a sell sheet takes a little bit of work. If you can afford it, you might consider hiring a designer, for around $50 bucks, you can have something decent. We hope this introduction to product sell sheets has helped, email us if you have any questions!
