Collateral

You need to provide support materials for your resellers, customers, and sales force.  You may wish to consider the following items (underlined items include a sample or bring you to the respective section (open in own window):

  • Product Packaging. This is one of the first collateral pieces since most other pieces take their look and feel from this design. Click to Register HERE with the Chanimal site (lists are not sold). This will allow you to download the entire Chanimal Packaging Guidelines in MS Word format. These guidelines are invaluable and contain the framework and acid tests for effective package design (whether virtual or actual packaging)–perfect guidelines for submitting to your design team!  See below for “certified” Chanimal packaging designers.
  • Product Slick. This is a single double-sided page, 4-color explanation of the product—from a marketing and technical standpoint.  Each uses the Persuasive Format. Samples: Consultant Slick, IQTechProsSlick, Feedonomics.
  • Sell Sheet. A black and white slick for resellers and distribution that positions and categorizes the product, explains promotions, awards, budgets, product price, and size, etc. It contains everything a distributor or reseller needs to know to pick up the product.

collateral samples

  • Technical Brief. A black and white typeset brief that goes into more detail about the technical features and specifications of our product.
  • Product Folders. Four color folders that are not product-specific but can be used for product proposals, press kits, reseller meetings, alliance kits, etc. Preferably these are designed with a blank spot for a sticker that can be customized to identify the content.
  • Product Brochure. You may not need a brochure for a single product.  However, as you created additional products you would create a family end-to-end brochure.
  • Recommended Price List and Pricing Matrix. A black and white price sheet that shows the baseline and optional pricing. See the Reseller Kit for an example.
  • White Paper. This paper explains the value position of the company’s product. Samples: Electronic Conversation Software, White Paper Samples (zip).
  • Press Releases. A compilation of recent press releases–page includes instructions and a KIT.
  • Corporate Backgrounder. A single page, black and white sheet that positions the company within its market space.
  • Case Studies – From sales wins. This is a single page (back to back), black and white success stories of your wins, explaining why they choose your product. Samples: Case Study Samples (zip)
  • Support Policy Slick. A single page, black and white sheet that explains your support policy (only if you charge for support (since it then becomes a product)).
  • Competitive Matrix. A black and white living document (colored if on the website or a PDF). You typically create two versions: one for limited distribution to customers, resellers, etc.  (intentionally lopsided and only shows your advantages), and another for internal use only showing how we compare to competitive products (both pros and cons) for engineering, support and sales so they know what we may be missing (not for customers). Competitive Matrix Sample Kit (zip)
  • Press and Testimonial Binder. This booklet contains positive press reprints, letters, and comments from alliances and customers hailing your products.  It is a black and white, ongoing binder.
  • PowerPoint Presentations. We need to create professional presentations about our products and professional services that can be used and modified by sales, resellers, and alliances. The link above allows you to download the reseller kit which contains two presentations.
  • Branded giveaway items. These would include T-shirts, cups or other branding items for key accounts and alliances. This link takes you to the trade show page which contains samples.
  • Copies of all ads and promotions. These would be disseminated to the sales and resellers so they are aware of our promotional activities. Produced at production time and typically distributed as .pdf files.
  • Business Case Models. Black and white sheets that make the ROI case for our product.
  • Event Calendar. A black and white calendar showing all upcoming events. Used for alliances, resellers, and customers.
  • Videos. Most products have videos. Some are informative, others use the persuasive format. I typically host on YouTube (since you can also get SEO traffic), but if I want them to load faster, don’t want to show competitor’s ads, or you want to make them confidential and harder to copy (your training videos), then I use the Swarmify CDN.

Click bottom right corner of samples to enlarge

Product and Market Training

  • Product Docs. Complete set of documentation for installing and running the product.
  • Training PowerPoint. A set of paper and electronic slides that are used to train sales, support, resellers and alliances on the product.
  • Product Demonstration on CD-ROM or Youtube. A multimedia presentation of the product – done internally.
  • Demo Script.  A “show this,” “say this,” line-by-line demo of the product. It includes screenshots. Download the Demo Scripts – Kit.
  • Market Overview. A PowerPoint presentation that gives a complete overview of the market—for sales, alliance, and resellers.

Agreements

  • Authorized Reseller Agreement. Used to sign-up resellers to your authorized program.
  • Professional Services Agreement. Outlines your professional services that usually augment your software sales.
  • Software Maintenance Agreement. Standard agreement to upgrade software as it becomes available.
  • Alliance Agreement. Defines the nature and terms of an alliance. This usually ensures each party the right to co-promote.

Online Portal Resources. A complete on-line depository of your collateral materials and additional resources. This link shows a sample reseller portal (branded for SaaSMAX–produced by Chanimal)

Graphic Design. Mrityunjay Gautam. He has worked with numerous Chanimal clients (he does all the graphic design for some of my oldest clients). I especially like his amazing white paper / eBook designs, plus he has helped with trade show signage and collateral. Very personable and easy to work with–quick turnaround, always a creative flare.

Contact Us or click the CHAT button if you need samples, templates or instructions for many of these documents. Additional Kits are reserved for those that REGISTER. Some are also only available in the Chanimal Store.