By Rhonda Abrams
Gannett News Service

What do you do when a prospective customer asks for information about one of your products or services? Hand them a company brochure? Send them to your Web site, which just gives them a one-paragraph product description? Or hem and haw, and then write up a hasty e-mail?

Instead, you'll find it useful - and easy - to develop a one-page product or service sales sheet. And you'll find lots of uses for it: trade shows, leave-behinds for sales appointments, packing inserts and to send in response to phone or e-mail requests.

One of my staff members is heading off to a trade show, and we've just finished making a sales sheet for one of our products.To give you an idea of what a one-page sales sheet looks like, you can see the one we created on my Web site at www.PlanningShop.com/sheet.

Here's how you can make your own one-page sales sheet:

• First, write up your text. Keep in mind one of Rhonda's Rules: "People don't read." So keep your copy short, snappy and to the point. Start with a one-paragraph description of your product or service. Provide the basics: what it is, what it does and why your customer should buy it.

Focus on your product's benefits, not just its features. In other words, think of your product/service from your readers' point of view. You may be thrilled that you just bought a brand new high-end photocopier for your print shop, but what does that mean for me, your customer? Better quality? Cheaper copies? Faster service?

• Next, you need a photo of your product. Or a graphic. Or anything visual. In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words. If your product or service isn't particularly photogenic, use a chart or graph that illustrates benefits or cost savings.

• Finally, you'll want a call to action. Tell people where and how they can order your product or get further information.

Now, it's time to take all this copy and put it on the page.

Here are secrets professional designers use to help make marketing materials look polished:

• Divide your page into columns: Short spans of text are easier to read and more visually appealing than long lines. Divide your letter-sized sheet into three columns

• Leave "white space:" Text and graphics "pop" when they have some breathing room. It's better to eliminate some text than cram in too much.

• Use a maximum of two typefaces. Your computer is loaded with wonderful, fun fonts; save most for your kids' school projects.

• Use color and bold face type sparingly. While you may want to make a few key words or phrases jump off the page by using colors or fat type, if you try to make everything pop out, nothing will.

There! You'll have a sophisticated, effective one-page sales sheet you can proudly distribute to potential customers, and no one needs to know you didn't hire an expensive marketing firm to create it.

Rhonda Abrams is the author of "The Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies" and president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books and tools for business planning.