1) Write down your objective before creating any marketing or advertising. What do you want to achieve with this marketing piece? Who is the target audience?

What action do you want the prospect to take after reading it? Have you made it clear and easy for the prospect to take the next step in the sales process? With a clear objective, you'll be able to create more focused marketing material.

2) Make it a habit to ask customers how they heard about your company. Keep track of their responses using a spreadsheet or database. Review frequently to find out what advertising is working for you.

3) Eighty percent of sales are closed between the fifth and twelfth contact, so set up a regular schedule to send out marketing materials. Be consistent. The more you remind customers about your products, the more responsive they'll be.

4) Concentrate your copy on the prospect, not on your company. Tell your prospect how your product or service will solve their problems. Use the words "you" and "your" frequently and "I" and "Our" less.

5) Use a multi-part headline in your ads. Have one main headline, but include a subhead underneath and a kicker line (a subhead that appears above left of the main headline.) This gives you more than one chance to catch the reader's attention.

6) Put quotation marks around the headline. This can draw 28 percent more attention than a headline without quotation marks.

7) Don't just print your company name and logo on the front of your brochure. Start selling on the cover with a benefit specific headline. Give potential customers a reason to dig into your brochure.

8) Include information in your ads, brochures, emails and web pages that customers would find valuable. For example, if you're an accountant, you might include a section in your brochure with "10 Tax Tips For Small Business."