The short answer
A sales brochure template is a fixed layout for a multi-panel or multi-page sales piece: a cover with an outcome headline, the problem, your solution and how it works, proof, your offerings and a call to action on the back. Common formats are the bi-fold, the tri-fold and the 8-page booklet. Use one when buyers need more depth than a one-pager holds.
On this page
- Sales Brochure Formats and When to Use Each
- Bi-Fold Sales Brochure Template, Page by Page
- Tri-Fold Sales Brochure Template, Panel by Panel
- Print vs Digital Brochure Rules
- When a Brochure Beats a One-Pager
- Writing Brochure Copy That Sells
- Getting the Right Proof to Each Prospect
- Get your brochure's best proof in front of each prospect
- FAQ
Key takeaways
Pick the fold first: Tri-folds suit events and counters, bi-folds suit leave-behinds, booklets suit several products. The format sets your word budget.
Cover sells the open: The cover has one job: an outcome headline worth opening for. Save the logo wall for inside.
Print and screen differ: Print needs bleed, high-resolution images and CMYK. Digital needs clickable links and pages readable on a phone.
Brochures serve markets: A brochure speaks to a segment. For a single live deal, a one-pager about that account usually works harder.
Sales Brochure Formats and When to Use Each
Choose the format before you write a word. The fold decides how many panels you have, the order people read them in and how many words fit.
| Format | Pages or panels | Best for | Word budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-fold | 6 panels, one sheet folded in thirds | Events, reception desks, mailers | 300 to 500 |
| Bi-fold | 4 pages, one sheet folded once | Leave-behinds, single product lines | 400 to 700 |
| Booklet | 8 pages or more, stapled | Several products or a full capabilities story | 900 to 1,500 |
| Digital brochure | Any length, read on screen | Email follow-up, website downloads | Keep pages short and scannable |
When in doubt, go smaller. A tight bi-fold that gets read beats a booklet that gets filed. And if one page would do, use a sales one-pager instead.
Bi-Fold Sales Brochure Template, Page by Page
The bi-fold is the most useful sales format: one fold, four pages, read like a short book. Copy this and fill the brackets.
PAGE 1: COVER
[Logo]
[Outcome headline, 6 to 10 words]
[One-line subhead: who it's for and what changes]
[One strong image]
PAGE 2: THE PROBLEM AND THE SHIFT
[Headline naming the problem]
[60 to 100 words on the buyer's situation, in their words]
[One fact or customer quote that shows the cost of doing nothing]
PAGE 3: HOW IT WORKS AND PROOF
[Headline naming the outcome]
- [Capability 1]: [what the buyer gets]
- [Capability 2]: [what the buyer gets]
- [Capability 3]: [what the buyer gets]
[Proof box: one result with a timeframe, one short quote]
PAGE 4: BACK COVER
[Why us: 3 short points]
[Offerings or tiers, if relevant]
[Call to action: one specific next step]
[Contact: name, email, phone, website, QR code]
Spend most of your time on the cover. If the headline doesn't earn the open, nothing inside gets read. Test three headlines on a colleague and keep the one they repeat back.
Pages 2 and 3 are read as one spread. Design them together so the problem on the left leads the eye to the solution and proof on the right.
Tri-Fold Sales Brochure Template, Panel by Panel
A tri-fold is read in a strange order, and most layout mistakes come from forgetting that. The reader sees the cover, then the inside flap, then the full inside spread.
OUTSIDE OF THE SHEET (left to right)
Panel A, inside flap: [The problem, 40 to 60 words, with a hook to open]
Panel B, back cover: [Call to action, contact details, QR code]
Panel C, front cover: [Logo, outcome headline, one image]
INSIDE OF THE SHEET (left to right)
Panel D: [How it works: 3 capabilities with outcomes]
Panel E: [Proof: one result, one quote, approved customer logos]
Panel F: [Why us, offerings, and a repeat of the call to action]
Put the hook on the flap. Panel A is the first thing seen when the cover opens, so it should make the reader want to unfold the rest.
Never put key content on the back cover only. It's often the last panel anyone reads, so repeat the call to action inside.
Print vs Digital Brochure Rules
The same brochure needs different preparation for paper and screen. Most problems with printed pieces come from skipping the printer's specs.
| Digital | ||
|---|---|---|
| Color | CMYK, checked against a printed proof | RGB, checked on a phone and a laptop |
| Images | High resolution (most printers ask for 300 DPI) | Compressed so the file opens fast |
| Edges | Bleed and safe margins, per your printer's template | No bleed needed |
| Links | QR code or short URL | Clickable links and buttons |
| Layout | Panels and spreads | Single pages that read well when scrolled |
Ask the printer for their template first. Fold widths, bleed and paper sizes vary, and designing to the wrong template is the most common reason for a reprint.
When a Brochure Beats a One-Pager
Brochures and one-pagers do different jobs. Pick based on the situation, not on which looks more impressive.
| Situation | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trade show booth or reception desk | Brochure | Picked up by strangers, read later |
| Several products or service tiers | Brochure | One page can't hold the range |
| First email to a cold prospect | One-pager | Short, fast, easy to read on a phone |
| After a discovery call | Account-specific one-pager | Recaps their situation, easy to forward |
| Executive in a buying committee | One-pager | Will read one page, not eight |
| Buyer expects a printed piece | Brochure | Matches the buying culture |
For the meeting itself, a sales leave-behind built around what you heard usually beats a generic brochure.
Writing Brochure Copy That Sells
Brochure copy is skimmed in a few seconds per page. Write for the skim, then reward the reader who slows down.
- One idea per page or panel. If a panel makes two points, split them or cut one.
- Headlines carry the story. A reader who only reads the headlines should still get the pitch.
- Outcomes before features. Use the feature-to-outcome ladder from the product one-pager guide.
- Proof near the claim. Put the result next to the capability it proves.
- One call to action. Repeat it, but don't vary it.
Getting the Right Proof to Each Prospect
A brochure is written for a segment, so it carries all your proof and hopes the reader finds the bit that matches them. In a live deal, it works better the other way round: pick the proof that fits the account and put it up front.
Got an existing brochure or spec sheet? The free PDF to Sales Brochure tool turns a PDF or Word document into a brochure draft with benefit-led copy. Review every claim before it goes out.
For live deals, tailor the shorter piece. Edithly doesn't design brochures. It reads your website into a playbook, including the proof points and case studies a brochure would carry, and builds a per-prospect One Pager or personalized pitch deck from them.
The result is the brochure's best proof, aimed at one account. The aim is that a freight broker sees your freight customer's story and a healthcare buyer sees the healthcare one, as long as both stories are in your playbook. That fits a one-to-one ABM motion as well as a single deal.
Keep both. One brochure per segment for events and your website, and a tailored page for every live opportunity, built with the Edithly sales collateral generator.
How Edithly does it
Get your brochure's best proof in front of each prospect
Edithly doesn't design brochures. It reads your website, including the proof points and case studies a brochure would carry, and builds each prospect's One Pager or Pitch Deck from them, so the proof reaches the account it fits.
- 1
Add your product
Click Add product and enter your product name and website. Edithly reads your site and fills your playbook, including proof points and case studies, which you can edit under Details.
- 2
Click the One Pager tile
Or choose Pitch Deck. Enter the prospect's company name and website, plus a note on the angle or customer story you want to lead with.
- 3
Generate and share the link
Click Generate one pager, then Copy link. Have an existing brochure or spec sheet as a PDF? Run it through the free PDF to Sales Brochure tool instead.
Website
Ready
- Their challenge
- Your answer
- Proof points
- Next step
- Styles
- Copy link
- By hand
- Several days for a designed brochure; 45 to 90 minutes per tailored one-pager
- With Edithly
- A couple of minutes per prospect
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a sales brochure?
A cover with an outcome headline, the problem your buyers face, your solution and how it works, proof such as results and customer quotes, your products or service tiers, what makes you different, and a back panel with a clear call to action and contact details. Keep each page focused on one idea, with plenty of white space.
What size is a standard sales brochure?
In the US, the most common is a tri-fold printed on letter paper (8.5 by 11 inches) and folded into three panels. Elsewhere, A4 is the usual base size. Bi-folds often use letter or tabloid paper folded once. Check your printer's template before designing, because fold panels are not always equal widths.
How many words should a sales brochure have?
Roughly 300 to 500 words for a tri-fold, 400 to 700 for a four-page bi-fold and up to around 1,500 for an eight-page booklet. Brochures are skimmed, not read, so headings, short paragraphs and visuals should carry the message. If you need more words, you probably need a different format.
Is a brochure or a one-pager better for sales?
A one-pager is better for most live deals, because it is quick to read, easy to forward and simple to tailor to one account. A brochure is better at events, for product lines with several offerings, and for buyers who expect a printed piece. Many teams keep one brochure per segment and a tailored one-pager per deal.
Can Edithly make a sales brochure?
No, Edithly doesn't generate brochures. If you already have a PDF or Word document, the free PDF to Sales Brochure tool turns it into a brochure draft. For live deals, Edithly builds a per-prospect One Pager or Pitch Deck from your playbook, including the proof points and case studies read from your website.