When done right, it can give your conversations an extra push toward “yes.”
But here’s the thing: Not all tools in your sales toolkit are this polished. Some can help you start a conversation, while others may be the final nudge prospects need. Design sales materials with your users’ needs in mind.
Sales pitch deck
Source: Beautiful.AI
Of course, you wouldn't use a hammer to hit a screw australia phone number resource and so you shouldn't use a product brochure where a case study might be more effective.
Let’s consider an example. You’re in a meeting and talking about how your product increased another company’s sales by 30%. Impressive, right? Now, imagine showing them a beautifully designed case study along with a customer testimonial highlighting that success.
Do you think this is a game-changer?
Or, say a prospect is interested but undecided. They’ve heard about your pitch but need something tangible to think about over a cup of coffee. A well-crafted product brochure or informative whitepaper can come in handy here.
That's the power of designing top-quality sales materials.
Now, let’s understand the different types before moving on to ways to design sales collateral along with best practices to increase conversions.
#1. Request for Quotation (RFQ) Documents
The B2B industry involves transactions involving high-value and complex purchases. Typically, you want to provide your B2B customers with an RFQ, which acts as a sales lead that helps the sales team convert a lead into a user.
Software RFQ documents Template
Source: Smartsheet
When preparing sales collateral in response to an RFQ (Request for Quotation), it is very important to consider all aspects that address users’ concerns. Treat it as a formal document that offers the best price while ensuring consistency.
Design best practices for requests for proposals:
Clear specifications: State all possible product and service requirements as this will help potential suppliers understand and meet your expectations.
Evaluation criteria: Design your sales collateral to highlight how you offer customers a way to evaluate your offerings. Whether it’s based on cost, quality, delivery timelines or other factors, being transparent can build credibility.
Contact information: Provide description details so potential buyers can ask questions and receive more accurate quotes.
Transparency: Outline the scope of your SaaS offerings with details that will ensure you get the most accurate quote possible and feel confident in the process.
#2. Case Studies
Users love to hear stories from other customers and are often inspired by those who have successfully used a particular software they are looking forward to purchasing.
Case study example
Source: Venngage
That’s why case studies can serve as powerful sales collateral that tells the story of how your product or service helped a customer overcome challenges and achieve success. Designing case studies involves using a relatable narrative that blends numbers with human elements.
Best practices in sales collateral design
Storyline: To design a sales collateral like a case study, you need to have a storyline. To do this, start with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Therefore, an ideal flow would be to introduce the customer, highlight the problem, and explain the solution your software offers. Finally, include how your solution delivers the best possible results and the customer’s testimony.
Visual aids: Make sure your case studies include relevant images, charts, and graphs to make the data more digestible. A compelling visual can convey a point better than a paragraph.
Consistent branding: Use brand colors, fonts, and logos throughout your case study. This not only looks professional, but also reinforces brand memorability.
Easy navigation: A long case study should include a table of contents or clickable sections. This allows for seamless navigation, helping readers jump to the information they are most interested in.
Design consistency: When designing case study sales materials, you need to maintain uniformity across the different case studies you create. This ensures a consistent brand experience for readers who view multiple case studies.
Interactive elements: If you’re presenting a case study online, consider adding interactive sections. Additionally, hovering tooltips or embedded video testimonials for more information can go a long way when creating case studies as part of sales collateral.
Call to action (CTA): When preparing a case study for sales collateral, end with a clear CTA, as this will help guide the reader to next steps. This could include getting in touch, reading another case study, or trying a product demo.
#3. Product Brochures
Consider creating compelling product descriptions in brochures that are mini-bios of your software . Design sales materials, such as brochures, to give potential customers a quick idea of what you offer.
Product Brochure example
Source: Pinimg
While it can be tempting to cram them full of information, less is often more. It’s good practice to have clear visuals, highlight key features, and balance text with visuals.
Key design considerations
High-quality images: Product brochures should have images that convey the quality and essence of the product. To do this, consider designing sales collateral with professional product photos that look appealing and compel readers to explore further.
Leave white space: A sales collateral design for a brochure should aim to make it easy for readers to understand the information. In this way, white space guides the reader’s eyes and makes the brochure more readable, increasing conversion.
Consistent branding: Make sure your brochure matches your identity by using consistent colors, typography and logos. This is a vital element when designing sales materials to make an instant impact on the reader
Create engaging headlines: The headline is often the first thing readers notice, so make sure it’s catchy and interesting enough to grab their attention right away.
Embedded QR codes: Digital connectivity simplifies processes and provides action steps for potential customers. Here, adding QR codes that lead to product videos or detailed specifications can help guide users to the next best action.
Use icons: Create more image-centric brochures by using icons instead of long text to represent product features or benefits. They are visually appealing and get the message across quickly.
Easy-to-read fonts: While creativity is appreciated, always prioritize readability and emphasize how easy the information is to read and understand. Avoid using overly decorative fonts here that are difficult to read.
Include infographics and illustrations: Wherever possible, visualize complex information by including infographics and illustrations that simplify complex concepts.
#4. References and Customer Reviews
There is no better salesperson than a satisfied customer. Gather real feedback and present it in an attractive way through testimonials.
Testimonials and Client Reviews
Source: Roastmylandingpage
Sales collateral should consider leveraging the power of reviews in a more cohesive way. Don’t just mention a quote, though. Instead, include a headshot and give a brief story about the customer and their name (along with a designation if they agree). This makes the testimonial feel real and relatable.
How to provide the best design for these?
Real faces: A well-designed testimonial as sales collateral should have real faces to add authenticity.
Highlighted text: Design sales collateral in bold or a different color to emphasize positive statements.
Keep it short: If a testimonial is long, cut out the punchline and provide the gist of the information, keeping the message authentic.
Varied presentation: Not all testimonials need to be in a quote format, so when designing sales materials, try turning some into short stories, while others might fit a graphical format like infographics.
User-friendly typography: Design your sales collateral in a readable font size and make sure it’s not overly ornate. The focus should be on the content of the testimonial.
Add credibility with company logos: A testimonial from a client who has worked with a well-known company or brand is something you’ll want to showcase, so include their brand logo (with permission) to add credibility.
Use quotes: For longer testimonials or customer stories, include a particularly powerful quote and highlight it with a larger font or different style.