Steps in Creating Your Sales Catalog

© Jerry Belch

Overview of Project
  • The objective here is to create and publish a company catalog. The project can be ongoing while specific product line is being developed (new company) or modified (returing company). Although the CEO is ultimately responsible to oversee this project and provide needed assistance where needed to meet deadlines, a catalog coordinator can be assigned.
    1. Prepare a timeline to assure successful completion of sales catalog.
    2. Get approval of overall design/rough draft.
    3. Obtain approval of cover design.
    4. Complete product identification.
    5. Come up with product pricing information.
    6. Come up with written product descriptions.
    7. Design order form .
    8. Print out first copy.
    9. Proofread first draft.
    10. Make corrections and produce a second draft.
    11. Printout final copy
    12. Collate and bind sales catalog.
    13. Conduct company training on the catalog.
    		•

    Tutorial

  • The Advertising/Marketing /Sales VP oversees and assigns appropriate tasks to specific department staff with clear instructions about design approval and completion. These tasks include design, creation, and production of the catalog and the order form. Sales, Marketing and Advertising departments all work on this project.
  • The Advertising/Marketing/Sales VPs oversee and assign various tasks to specific department staff with clear instruction regarding researching product.services, prices, etc. The ultimate goal being to identify and determine the products that will be offered this year, written descriptions of products, and research wholesale costs to determine retail prices. Identification of required components of order form should be determined in this department. Understanding and adhering to the timeline for each step is critical to assure coordination and timely completion of the catalog.
  • CEO oversees and/or assigns responsibiliy for determining and writien return policies and warantees, shipping and delivery policies, personnel, sale contacts, and/or any other sections of the catalog identified to be included. The CEO finalizes product offerings company policies and procedures and assigns HR responsibility to put personnel, sales contracts and other sections of the catalog. CEO also meets with Sales/Marketing/Advertising VPs to determine printing collating and binding of the catalog..

    Materials to Collect

    1. Printout Sales Catalog Workflow and Rubric.
    2. Printout the Product Development Curriculum
    3. Find a sample sales catalog- These were given out during training. You may use the one from this web site if you wish.
      Sales catalog sample
    4. Printout Overview and competition rubric for sales catalog presentation. presentation . The catalog presentation competition is currently only at the Bakersfield Trade Fair. The Mail -in Sales Catalog is the method used at all other trade fairs in California.
    5. Project needs to be done before
      end of week 12 ( before Thanksgiving) if you want to enter the Sales Catalog Competition Presentation at the Bakersfield Trade Fair. - VE Website

    6. Print out Cathy's Department Template From Janet's Web Site Helpful Forms-Forms, Templates and Letters

    7. Printout VE Progress Logs from Janet's Web Site Helpful Forms-Forms, Templates and Letters

      Teacher's Responsibility

    8. Use the workflow unit for the sales catalog, fill out the Department Template for each department. -What do you want them to accomplish each week. These Department Templates appear on the right-hand side of your screen if you choose to use these plans.

    9. Make a copy of the Department Template for each department manager and give the Department Templates to the CEO.

    10. CEO gives out Department Template to each department head.

    11. Department head gives out Progress Logs to each employee and from the Department template and the workflow assigns each employee the tasks for the week.

    12. Employee accomplishes the work assigned and fills in information on the Progress Log.

    13. Completed Progress Logs for each employee are given to the department VP at end of week.

    14. Department heads turn progress logs over to CEO.

    15. CEO turns over progress logs to teacher.

    16. Set up a filing cabinet drawer for these materials, so you won't have to go through this process next year.

    17. Evaluate each week's assignment to see if it is completed. You may need to adjust the amount of time for each week's assignment.

    18. When project is completed, go over rubric to make sure all items are there.

    • Step-By-Step Instructions

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 1

    Using the materials that you printed out we are gong to prepare step-by-step instructions (Department Templates) for this project.

    1. Timeline for the project is 7 weeks. Go through workflow, product development, and other materials and divide into 7 equal sections. See below.
    2. Teacher gives printout of this week's Department Templates and blank project logs, for each employee in Sales/Marketing/Advertisng departments. to CEO. CEO gives material to VP of Sales/Marketing/Advertising. VP distributes the workload among department employees. Each employee fills in their own log with assignments given by the VP.
    3. Design and publish a company catalog
    4. Meet with department staff to inform them about catalog project.
    5. Research product/services, prices of viable products
    6. Cover design, title page – including logo, address, e-mail, phone, fax, table of contents
    7. Recommended time line for project
      a. Approval of overall design week 1
      b. Approval of cover design week 2
      c. Complete product identification week 6
      d. Product pricing week 3
      e. Written product descriptions week 3
      f. Order form week 4
      g. Other sections in catalog week 4
      h. Printing of first draft week 5
      i. Proofreading first draft week 6
      j. Final print week 7
      k. Collating and binding week 7
    Printer Friendly Version -Week 1            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 1

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 2

    1. Get graphics, text, product descriptions
    2. Research suppliers for prices
    3. Determine markup and retail price – general pricing formula for retail items is approximately two times wholesale price.
    4. Check with accounting for markup results from Biz Stats for your particular type of industry.
    5. Identify required components on order form
      a. Order number
      b. Customer name
      c. Customer address
      d. Customer VE company name
      e. Product Item name
      f. Product Item Number
      g. Price, etc
    6. Send list of products to administration for approval
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 2            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 2

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 3

    1. Prepare design and rough layout of catalog, number of pages, size, type of paper, general form, type of binding and overall look
    2. Story board approach for each page a separate document – Merge them together at end of process
    3. Finalize cover, type face, title page, company logo, address, table of contents
    4. Company overview and contact information
    5. General product overview
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 3            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 3

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 4

    1. Design order form
    2. Return policies, warrantees, shipping and delivery
    3. Decide on special backgrounds, graphics and photos
    4. Order form must be in catalog – used as stand-alone for sales
    5. Finalize page number and complete table of contents
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 4            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 4

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 5

    1. On computer, proofread and check all text and photos and layout features of company catalog
    2. Have someone else, who in not working on the catalog look it over
    3. Print first draft and submit to administration for proofreading and corrections.
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 5            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 5

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 6

    1. Make necessary correction and print second draft for final approval
    2. VP Sales/Marketing/Advertising meet with CEO to determine printing, collating and binding responsibilities, staff assignments
    3. Print, collate and bind catalog.
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 6            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 6

    Sales/Marketing (Company Catalog) Week 7

    1. Company training – Sales of product using catalog in preparation for trade fair
    2. Make sure all departments are familiar with the product line – all employees are sales persons
    3. Make duplicate copies- three to be sent to Virtual Enterprise Office for mail in competition.
    4. Check deadline for mail in
    Printer Friendly Version - Week 7            Sample Assignment Department Templates Week 7

    1. Virtual Enterprise California - Sales Catalog Workflow

    2. Virtual Enterprise California - Product Development, Rubric for Sales Catalog mail-in competition and Sales Catalog Presentation

    Virtual Enterprise California
    Janet's Web Site -Helpful forms-Forms and Templates
    Example of a Progress Log for Week 5