Are you passionate about your business? Are you one of those business people I deal with constantly who can talk for hours about the goods and bads of their business because it is their life? I hope you are! Passion is good for business!

However, when it comes to producing sales material, printed or electronic, you will need to focus on a number of major factors as you put things together.

PASSION: The first thing you have already. Passion! If you are enthusiastic, you will catch people up in your train. Even if they don't really care a bit about your product, it's exciting to hear someone talk about this precious thing that makes them tick and keeps them getting out of bed in the morning! I find the best way to start conversation at business networking events is to basically interview people, asking them straight out what they are passionate about.

PEOPLE: The second factor is this: People don't remember what you say to them so much as they remember how you made them feel. If you droned on about your pet subject for so long that they started to give you those tell-tale signs that they had heard enough (like rubbing their eye or looking away for long periods!) they will remember you as boring over anything you were actually trying to get across. You haven't so much caught them up in what excites you, as given them a lecture because no one else will listen to you. Learn when to shut up - and learn to involve them in your discussion by asking them questions.

This second factor also applies to printed text on your website or in your brochure. Ask questions that relate to the requirements filled by your service or product, then show them succinctly why you are passionate about it! Carry them along with you. Use personal references, but don't start with a history of your company and calculate the combined years of experience between your loyal staff members. WHO CARES! Put that at the end to back up the real selling points. Make them feel that they have made the discovery along with you as they listen or read. But keep it short and save the fine print for the end.

PRESENTATION: The third factor also relates to feelings. You need graphic design that uses images and colours in a way that supports the feelings you are trying to get across.

Since communication has become so easy, the problem now is being heard among the millions of voices. Often you only have a minute - or even a split-surfing-second - to be noticed as unique and worth a look. People still see the cover of your book before they read it, so you'd better have the correct eye-candy or buzzword to get their attention so you can have your quick passionate business chat.

Scenic World in the Blue Mountains NSW has been spending millions of dollars upgrading their buildings and attractions. They wanted to attract new customers and bring back people who hadn't been there for years, so they needed an advertising 'brand' that supported their new image. Their advertising material and publications were old-fashioned and inconsistent. Even their logo was washed out and tired. So they hired an agency to come up with a new logo and corporate theme which was fantastic! The team used a primary coloured ribbon to signify each ride and gave the whole thing a bright new sense of excitement and motion. Problem was, it just sat around and wasn't applied to their advertising. I was referred to them and have had the pleasure of using the new image in their advertisements and brochures. I wish I had come up with the new logo, but applying it in interesting and appropriate ways has been a lot of fun.

My point is, Scenic World is an exhilarating place to visit, and it needed an image to match. If your product is security, make people feel secure. If it's beauty, make ordinary people feel beautiful. If it's a restaurant, convey the whole dining experience.

To sum up the Pied Piper's three P's, convey your Passion, communicate with real People, and use complementary visual Presentation. Then you'll have people listening to your tune. They may even dance!