Back when I first started my own freelance design business, one of the first things I did was to come up with a logo and business cards.  Then I got a couple of clients and quit spending much time on my own marketing materials, thinking they would get done eventually.  Well, the eventually kept getting spread out further and further.  I got the work done for those couple of clients and I still kept putting off working on new marketing collateral. 

Finally, after a push from my husband (muse, best critic, person best equipped to give me a good kick in the butt when I need it) I went ahead on my website, put together a leave behind and just generally got the ball rolling again.  And I’ve got to tell you, getting that package of shiny new postcards in the mail from the printer – complete with all of my business information and logo – well it really gave me a good boost of enthusiasm to push harder to make my business succeed.  Looking at that new website made me proud of my company and really made me want to do the best I could to see it grow.  It made me feel so much more legitimate and professional, which came out in my new marketing efforts as well as the work I was doing for my clients.

I’ve recently seen a similar effect for a couple small business clients.  While they were doing okay at their business, their marketing materials had grown stale and they had lost some of the enthusiasm for marketing themselves.  They went through the motions, but just weren’t that excited or even optimistic about it. 

It’s amazing how much difference the new updated materials made.  In one case, the client was still in the early stages of developing their clientele and had stalled much like I had.  In another instance, the new materials gave the client a reason to reconnect with existing clients to help them get those ever so important referrals.  And in a third instance, you could just see the client ooze with new found pride in their company, which in turn made me feel so much more pride in mine.

What do you think?  What could updated marketing materials do for your company?  For your enthusiasm?