Re-Visited: The Intro Packet

Seven years ago, I wrote the post “Let Me Introduce… My Business, with an Intro Packet”. In it I discussed the difficulty of giving people a clear picture of what your business can provide in a short period of time and how an intro packet could help.  A lot has changed in seven years.  The elevator speech that I mention in that original post, while still used, has really taken a back seat to social media posts.

Do the rapid changes that online technology and social media bring to the business world mean that an intro packet is no longer needed?

Not at all.

A well-done intro packet is still a valuable tool to help others understand exactly what you do and what problems you and your services can solve.

In case you haven’t read my original post, an intro packet is a collection of items regarding your business that can be pulled together to give people a more complete picture of you and your business. It consists of:

• Business Profile
• Services or Products List
• Pricing or Rates information
• Business Policies (if applicable)

It may also include items like a Client Assessment or questionnaire of some sort.  What you include in your intro packet will depend upon your business and what information you may want to share or receive back. See the original post for more information about what type of information is included in each of those components.

What format should you distribute your intro packet in?

In the original post, I recommended pulling the materials together in a .pdf that could be distributed electronically or printed out as a handout.  Today we have a few more options.

1. A Dropbox Paper document
2. Video
3. Slideshow
4. Shared cloud document

Create a .pdf version too, even if you choose to use one or more of the newer options above.

Make it easy to share your intro packet.

Emailing a .pdf or a link to your online document, video or slideshow isn’t exactly hard, but there are things you can do to make it even easier.  Like creating a QR code.  I like the idea of including a QR code link on my business card. If you already have a ton of business cards, just have some stickers made and put them on the back of your card.  The cool thing about stickers is that you can add them to anything. Add one to envelopes going out in the mail.   You can add QR codes to digital items too.  Add it to your email signature or post it to social media.  It’s a great way to share your intro packet quickly and easily.

Use it to build an e-mail list.

Resist the temptation to just post your intro packet to your website. In addition to giving others information, you can use it to discover who may be interested in your services or products. Create an email list for the purpose of sharing it.  Interested parties sign up and are given access to your intro packet and you now have a list of people who just may need what you are offering.

The Intro Packet is still a great business tool.

The business landscape may have changed a bit since 2011, but the versatility of an intro packet hasn’t. If you haven’t pulled one together yet, what are you waiting for?

Get my workbook, Creating an Intro Packet Step by Step, and start making a lasting impression on potential clients/customers.

This post is part of a new series that revisits the topic of an older post here on the Tips from T.Marie blog. The purpose is to address any new information that may be available, update it with new ideas or techniques and/or to make it more applicable to the current state of the business world and online technology.