Is the sales brochure dead? Have cell phones and the World Wide Web killed it?

No. Brochures are alive and well. Here are some reasons why.

1. Credibility. When people see and feel a quality piece of literature, it builds their confidence in the company. It tells them the company is serious about and committed to their business.

2. Paper is still the best medium for details. Reading lots of words on paper is easier than reading them on a computer screen. That makes brochures particularly welcome for product specifications, instructions, case studies, warranties, and other topics of extended content.

3. You can take it with you. Once a Web page is clicked off, it’s gone. Once a brochure is in hand, it might just stick around. A consumer might notice a dry cleaner’s flier on the kitchen table a month later and decide to try it out. And contrary to sales lore, not all B2B purchasing agents throw the brochure in the garbage as soon as the sales rep leaves.

4. Visual power. For many, images are more powerful than words. Even colors have an enormous impact on a message, as Robyn McMaster explains. On the Web, colors and intricate design are not always desirable and can never match the elegance of a well designed brochure.

5. Brochures create a total buying experience. By combining detailed content with the right design and colors, a brochure can do some real selling. Car brochures are a good example. You see sexy photos of the car, appealing action shots of car, driver and passengers, specifications, competitive matchups, warranty information, and exhilarating sales copy. Words. Pictures. Graphs. Charts. People. Metal. Action. Excitement. Hard for a Web site to match that.

Word Sell … Scrambled Toast