Much of this blog deals with sales by people. It is also possible to use print to make sales.
A generation ago the company letterhead was called a “silent salesman.” It began to sell the moment the recipient opened the envelope. It continued to sell into the future if the recipient retained it. In its day Hammermill Papers placed numerous ads featuring creative ways for bond paper to sell letterheads.
One campaign, “Your Letterhead Is You.,” cited five possible company personalities, i.e. conservative, dignified, friendly, service-minded and product-minded with a letterhead to match.
An important factor in letterhead success is the color of the paper. Hammermill addressed that with the advertising slogan “White is always right, but color makes the difference.” Color enhances the letterhead design. It is also important in advertising pieces. Businesses report greater response to flyers printed on colored paper than on plain white stock.
Letterheads and paper advertisers have declined in importance, but the paper business card remains essential to sales. There is no hint of a convenient replacement. Online templates and printers makes it available to all, but a qualified designer may better portray the product or service being sold.
There still are sales opportunities in newspapers and other publications, but the digital media has lessened their popularity.
