Your Collateral Isn’t Just Informational—It’s Brand Proof

Great collateral turns prospects into believers.
From one-pagers to pitch decks to case studies, your sales and marketing materials should consistently reflect your visual identity, tone of voice, and strategic messaging. These are the tools that bring your brand to life in the hands of others.

Why it's Important

Reinforces positioning and value proposition
Increases clarity and professionalism in sales and partner interactions
Aligns internal teams around what to say—and how to say it
Builds trust through consistent design and tone
Equips your champions (sales, investors, advocates) with branded tools to pitch for you

How to Implement

Audit your existing materials
Review all pitch decks, one-pagers, product sheets, case studies, pricing guides
Note inconsistencies in design, message, tone, and audience fit
Create modular templates for reuse
Design branded templates for slides, PDFs, and live links
Include guidance on structure, tone, and audience targeting
Keep core brand elements (logo, typography, color palette) locked
Define messaging hierarchy for each asset type
One-pagers: headline, subhead, pain/solution, proof points, CTA
Pitch decks: narrative arc aligned to buyer or investor needs
Case studies: challenge → solution → results with visual callouts
Keep visuals and voice aligned
Use visuals to reinforce—not distract from—the story
Match tone to the target audience: practical for buyers, visionary for investors
Use your brand’s language, not generic business-speak
Include social proof
Real quotes, usage metrics, logos, or mini-wins from trusted clients
Ensure permission for brand logos and quotes if externally shared
Version for key segments
Tailor variations by customer type, use case, or industry
Keep a master set and update quarterly or per campaign
Make access easy and centralized
Use a shared library or enable in tools like Notion, DocSend, or Google Drive
Set ownership for updating and reviewing collateral regularly

How You Know You Got It Right

Sales and marketing teams consistently use brand-aligned templates
Collateral reinforces your narrative—not just your features
Stakeholders comment on clarity, design, or polish
Prospects engage with and remember your materials
Internal teams know where to find the latest versions
You get more warm intros and referrals from well-equipped advocates

Real-World Examples

Ramp

Offers sleek, conversion-focused one-pagers that mirror their product design and voice

Carta

Built investor decks and product sheets that clearly map to their value prop for founders and VCs

Webflow

Uses high-quality case studies and sales decks that reflect their design-first platform and community ethos

Make It Better

Build “swipe files” of high-performing examples by use case
Standardize intros and CTAs to align across campaigns
Include internal notes for usage (e.g., when to send, how to present)
Collect feedback from sales and CS teams on what resonates
Keep a feedback loop to continuously evolve collateral with market shifts

Don't Make These Mistakes

Using off-brand decks or PDFs made ad hoc by individuals
Copy-pasting language from old campaigns without reviewing tone
Letting outdated stats, visuals, or logos linger in shared folders
Creating too many one-offs that confuse the message
Treating case studies as dry testimonials instead of proof-based stories