The Formidable Fax

Important Note:
Please be sure to save the template to your hard drive; then open the file from within Word before making your own changes.

When you've been doing something for a long time, it's often useful to step back and re-think why and how you're doing it. Your fax cover sheet is no trivial matter. Customers and colleagues are likely to see it many more times than the brochure you spent days or weeks creating or the ad you pay a premium to run in the local newspaper. Following are three ways to use your fax to build your organization's image.

The all-in-one fax

How many times have you received a full-page fax cover sheet followed by a memo-like message? It happens all the time and it is not only a waste of your time and resources, it is a waste of your customers'.

Why not consolidate the two sheets into one? Think of your fax as an ad. Change the focus from the process to the message. For example, instead of using a dry heading such as "Facsimile Transmittal," use a bold headline (1) to grab attention, in this case: "Treat your customers to bigger discounts on smaller orders." Then add an illustration to telegraph the message visually - here (2), a rose for a floral supplier. (See the "sidebar" Create a visual cue.)

The message text is large and readable and the closing asks for a specific action - "Call me today for an extra 5% off!". You can even scan your signature (3) to add a personal touch. The supportive details - the name of the sender, the organization, addresses and phone numbers, and so on (4) - are off to the side, readily available, but out of the way.

The space-saver fax

If you're using your first page as a cover sheet for a longer transmission, try this space-saver format. It includes all of the important details in half the space. Print two cover sheets to a page then cut the sheets in half. When you're ready to send your fax, feed the half sheet through first followed by the first transmission page. Voila - you save half a sheet of paper on both ends and the long-distance time it takes to transmit it.

This is a more generic format for everyday transmissions so, in this case, the bold text is used to highlight your name and the name of your organization (5). Here too, there's space for a visual (6) - something big and bold. You can fill it in on your computer or print out blank copies and fill them in by hand as you need them.

The "LINK" box

If you want to play up the document you're sending and play down the transmission information, try copying and pasting this little box to the last page of your finished document - in this case a letter (7). It provides all of the necessary links in a very small space: names, phone numbers, even a checklist of possible responses (8).

As with any informational document - include the answers to as many potential questions as possible. In addition to the expected details, include your street address, your e-mail address, and, if you have one, your web site URL (9).

All templates are compatible with the C5000 Series, C7000 Series and C9000 Series digital color printers from OKI^® Printing Solutions.

Template design by: Chuck Green, Logic Arts (804-266-7996, www.ideabook.com);
Headline font: Impact, Adobe Systems (800-68-ADOBE, www.adobe.com);
Rose/vase illustration: from Scratchworks I, Dynamic Graphics (1-800-255-8800, www.dgusa.com);
Space-saver fax - Headline font: Cosmos Extra Bold, Adobe Systems;
Shopping cart illustration: from Designer's Club, Dynamic Graphics; Link fax: Headline font: Annisette Black, Font Bureau (617-423-8770, www.fontbureau.com)