Recently, a successful advisor asked me for my comments on a brochure designed to capitalize on growing interest in charitable giving. This marketing piece's good and bad points offer some useful insights about how to communicate with clients effectively in general.

There were a number of things to like about the brochure which was 8 ½ by 11 inches in dimension, printed in full colour and ran 8 pages.

1. The overall look and feel of the brochure was very high end and reinforced this advisor's high quality positioning.

2. There was consistent visual imagery across the brochure and it was very well designed.

3. The brochure was exceptionally well written - it provided clear information on the options for charitable giving.

4. As a talking piece when meeting with clients or prospects, I could see it being very helpful in introducing the topic of charitable giving.

On the flip side of the coin:

1. The title on the front cover didn't directly address charitable giving. In a world where we have only seconds in which to gain or lose a client's or prospect's attention, we need to deliver our core message quickly.

2. While well-written, the brochure had too much copy and the typeface, while elegant, was much too small, making it especially difficult to read for older clients. In my view, this brochure was designed to be looked at rather than read.

3. There was limited use of graphics and photos, without even a photo of the advisor - all the research on this topic is consistent that clients relate to pictures more than words.

4. While informative, I felt the brochure was a bit abstract and lacked emotional punch - this is something that might have been addressed with case studies and real life examples.

The bottom line when developing marketing material - and when communicating with clients and prospects generally, whether in writing or in face to face and telephone conversations:

1. Ensure you make your point upfront quickly and clearly.
2. Don't overload the number of words - I've used the expression "Less is more" before; it really does apply to any form of communication.
3. When sending anything in writing, ensure that the type is large enough for easy reading and build in lots of visuals to reinforce your message.
4. Whenever communicating with existing or prospective clients, don't forget that you need to appeal to both the heart and the mind.

Keep these four principles in mind and you too will communicate more effectively and connect with your clients.

And one final tip. Before sending out a letter, newsletter, email or any other written material, ask someone who is not knowledgeable about markets to go through it with a yellow highligher - if you feel really brave, give it to one of your parents or an elderly relative. Ask them to highlight anything which is even a bit unclear - that can be the cue for you to revisit the words and examples you use to ensure you're communicating at the right level.