Fax To The Max Perk up your sales with fax cover sheets that do double duty as promotional tools.

Less than a decade ago, shortly after the desktop facsimilemachine first sprang from the creative minds of the businessequipment industry, the machine, in turn, spawned the funny faxcover sheet, that groaningly pun-laden page heralding the importantinformation that followed. Seemingly, about a million people allbolted up in bed one night with the belief that they had divinedthe perfect cover-sheet pun of all time: "Just the fax,ma'am."

Then along came punning first cousins of that idea, like"Fax a lot," "Fax for the memories" and more.You could even buy a pad of funny fax cover sheets at the officesupply store to lead your faxes off with a nudge and aha-ha-ha.

Then, predictably, like the fate of the humorous answeringmachine message, funny fax cover sheets faded into semioblivion, tobe replaced by a plain-Jane sheet simply called the fax coversheet, a form that provided just the facts, ma'am.

That said, the question that still smoldered in the hearts ofmany was this: Is there another evolutionary stage in store for thefax cover sheet? Must it remain a plain-vanilla addressing element,or can it play a larger role in promoting your business?

Reader Regenia Clark, who recently wrote, thinks it's thelatter. She and her husband, Jack, operate M.G.R.-Homecare Inc., aGriffin, Georgia, provider of respiratory and infusion therapyservices and equipment for homebound patients in rural areas oftheir state. The Clarks recently started providing their referralsources (physicians and hospitals) with a fax cover sheet thatgives their sources a convenient way to jot down some basicinformation about the referred patient and then attach data fromthe patient's chart on specific requirements.

The Clarks hope this new sheet translates into a majorconvenience for referrers since the previous method required a 15-to 20-minute phone conversation to relay the same in-formation.However, the Clarks believe-and I agree-that their modified faxcover sheet can be tweaked in some way to better promoteM.G.R.-Homecare to its referrers.

Jerry Fisher is a freelance advertising copywriter andwelcomes submissions to this column, although he regrets he cannotanswer each individually. For more information on his newmanual, Creating Successful Small Business Advertising, senda self-addressed, stamped envelope to "AdvertisingWorkshop," BIZ Experiences, 2392 Morse Ave., Irvine, CA 92714. Orcontact Jerry via CompuServe at 73150,132 or America Online atJerry 228.

Cover-Cum-Promo

The idea of providing your current customers with a convenientfax cover sheet that also promotes the use of your servicesactually harkens back to my November 1995 column. It talked aboutrelationship marketing, which deals with the question: What are youdoing to harvest more business from your current customerrelationships, instead of always beating the bushes for newclients?

One no-brainer way might be the very sheet we're discussing.The hybrid fax cover sheet/promotional flier is an inexpensive,easy way to give your business a continual and helpful presence inthe offices of your regular customers. Maybe it's a fax coversheet that doubles as the company's purchase order, or maybeit's a cover sheet that's also a specialized order formlike the patient data sheet the Clarks need. Maybe it's not a"cover" sheet at all but a triple dip of addressing page,promotional sheet and order form all in one.

It all depends on what you sell and the information customersneed to provide to you to order it. The idea is to design a sheetthat is helpful and convenient but also offers a subtle, motivatingsales message. It must be clear to the user that this sheet is anew, convenient business form and not a blatant shill for yourservices.

My suggested headline for the Clarks' cover sheet is:"No need to phone . . . Just check off how we can continueyour patient's quality care at home." This would befollowed by a list of M.G.R.'s key services, with check-offboxes for the referrer to mark off.

This would be followed by the subhead: "Simply fax thiscompleted cover sheet with the patient's data record."There would also be a fill-in portion like the company currentlyuses. Notice, too, that the sheet is labeled "Fax Patient DataTransmittal." It's important the user realize immediatelythat this is a utilitarian business form, not a promotionalflier.

Let's talk about what these suggested revisions offer. Theheadline implies there is a faster, easier way to process thereferral than through a time-consuming phone call. It alsoinstructs the user in that simple process and, at the same time,enables M.G.R. to billboard its key services at the top of the pageinstead of in small type at the bottom, as in the original coversheet. Finally, the headline subtly strokes and reassures thehealth-care professional by offering to "continue yourpatient's quality care."

Words And Music

Once you've composed the words of your fax cover sheet, youthen need to put them to music. By that I mean you need to developthe graphic elements that really make this sheet look the part of atrue business form.

In the Clarks' case, I've broken the elements intovisuals that are easy for the user's eye to follow. The largearrow invites the reader to check off the boxes as instructed; theobvious next step is to fill in the blank lines at the bottom.

I'd send 100 of these new forms to each of M.G.R.'s keyreferrers with a cover letter that says something like: "DearDr. Wagner, Can a single form (like those enclosed) cut 90 percentof the time it takes you to relay patient referral information tous? The answer is yes. From now on, you can fax it instead ofphoning it in, using these new fill-in fax cover sheets. Thensimply attach the patient's data sheet from his or her chart.Nothing could be more expedient, especially knowing it can take 15to 20 minutes to phone us with the same information. With these newforms, it can take as little as a minute or two. When you'veused the enclosed supply, we'll be happy to send you more, oryou can simply photocopy one of these sheets."

Among the other obvious benefits for M.G.R is that fax coversheets reduce the amount of telephone time required to takereferrals, thus shortening the length of time M.G.R.'s phonelines are tied up. And, of course, the investment is minusculecompared to the possible benefits.

Also-and this is critical-M.G.R. should invest in the servicesof a professional designer to create the form. As tempting as itmay be to simply use a computer design program, these programs aremore expertly wielded by someone with schooling and experience inthe graphic arts. The designer will better"compartmentalize" the elements of the sheet to make itall the more clear, concise and inviting to the eye. You may notknow of such a person, but the company that does your printing justmight. Or check your Yellow Pages under "Advertising" or"Graphic Arts."

Contact Source

M.G.R.-Homecare, (770) 228-6371, fax: (770) 229-5443.