The Sell Sheet Checklist: What to Put on One Page Before You Email

A sell sheet is a one-page document that tells a buyer what you sell, what it costs and why they should stock it. Buyers spend 30 to 90 seconds scanning it before deciding whether to reply. If the information they need is missing or buried, they move on.

This checklist shows what goes on that page and why each piece matters.

Product identification at the top

The buyer needs to know what they are looking at in the first three seconds.

Put these at the top:

Brand name and product name in readable type
One clear product photo on a white or neutral background
Category in plain words (face serum, body wash, vitamin supplement)

The photo should show the actual retail package, not a lifestyle shot. Buyers want to see the label, size and format.

Pricing and case details

Buyers evaluate margin before anything else. Put pricing in a simple block:

Wholesale price per unit
Suggested retail price
Units per case
Case price (optional but helpful)

Example:

Wholesale: $8.50 per unit
Retail: $16.99
Case pack: 12 units
Case price: $102

If you offer tiered pricing (lower per-unit cost at higher volumes), state the threshold. For example: $8.50 per unit for one to four cases, $8.00 per unit for five or more cases.

Do not bury pricing in a paragraph or make the buyer calculate margin. They will not.

Product specifications

Buyers need to know if the product fits their shelf space, storage and customer base.

Include:

Net weight or volume
Dimensions of the retail unit (height, width, depth in inches or centimeters)
Shelf life or expiration window
Any refrigeration or special storage requirement

If the product is certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free or carries another relevant certification, list it here with the certifying body (USDA Organic, Leaping Bunny, NSF). Do not list aspirational claims you cannot verify.

Unique selling points

This section answers why a customer would buy your product instead of the one already on the shelf.

Use three to five short bullets. Each bullet should be specific:

Good: "Contains 15% niacinamide, double the concentration of leading serums"
Weak: "Highly effective formula"
Good: "Refillable aluminum bottle cuts plastic waste by 80%"
Weak: "Eco-friendly packaging"
Good: "Featured in Allure's Clean Beauty Awards 2023"
Weak: "Award-winning product"

If you have customer reviews, sales data from another channel or a repeat purchase rate, include it. For example: "4.7 star average from 340 verified buyers" or "38% repeat purchase rate in our DTC channel."

Do not claim results you have not measured. Do not make medical claims ("reduces inflammation", "lowers cholesterol").

Minimum order and terms

State the smallest order you will accept and your payment terms.

Example:

Minimum opening order: 2 cases (24 units)
Reorder minimum: 1 case
Payment: Net 30 from invoice date
Freight: FOB origin (buyer arranges shipping) or Free shipping on orders over $500

If you require a credit application or deposit for new accounts, say so.

Contact information

Put your name, email and phone number at the bottom. If you work with a sales rep or distributor in the buyer's region, include their contact details instead.

Include your website. Do not include social media handles unless the buyer specifically requests them.

What to leave out

These items add clutter without helping the buyer decide:

Your company's founding story or mission statement
Ingredient lists longer than three lines (link to your website for full details)
Multiple product photos or lifestyle images
Testimonials longer than one sentence
Marketing slogans or taglines

File format and naming

Save the sell sheet as a PDF. Name it clearly: BrandName_ProductName_SellSheet.pdf.

Do not send a Word doc, a link to a cloud folder or a multi-page catalog as your first attachment. Buyers want one page they can print or forward.

How we compared

This checklist reflects common buyer requirements gathered from retail buyer interviews and standard wholesale practices in health, beauty and FMCG categories. It is reasoning and observation, not test data.

What to do this week

Open your current sell sheet and confirm wholesale price, retail price, case pack and minimum order are visible without scrolling.
Replace any vague benefit statement ("premium quality", "trusted brand") with a measurable or verifiable claim.
Check that your product photo shows the actual retail package, not a rendering or lifestyle shot.
Save the file as a PDF with a clear name and send it to yourself to confirm it opens correctly on mobile.