Houston's Computer Source Newsletter
By Vic Cherubini

Houston, Texas - November 1995 - Sales and marketing represents the last major business area to be given computer support, yet no other function has such a strong potential to affect a company's bottom line. Although increasing productivity in other areas may result in reduced costs, an increase in productivity in sales can translate into a gain in the gross revenues for a company.

Today we are experiencing a revolution in sales & marketing. The mass market is dead. To be successful, a company must focus its message on a select target audience. A variety of tools are available to help make this transition including a powerful new technology, the electronic catalog.

Since the days of Gutenberg, anyone faced with producing a printed catalog knows the problem. No sooner than the ink dries and something changes. Reprinting is out of the question, so you grit your teeth and bear it.

Buy why? Consider a modern day alternative'the electronic catalog. Image all the information in your printed catalog on a single floppy disk. Specification sheets, photographs, order forms and other reference information. To add additional value, include animation and sound along with interactive design tools so a prospect can really understand what is the best product for a specific application.

When something changes, it's a simple matter of overwriting the old information with the new. From that point on all new copies of the electronic catalog are current. But what about any customers with the old information? No need to send the new catalog overnight'when it can be sent at the speed of light. Since the new catalog is in digital format, it can be sent by modem anywhere.

Many companies are taking advantage of this technology to boost sales. If your company is looking for a way to provide high-quality information and cut down on the cost to produce and distribute it, an electronic catalog just might be the answer. In many case, an electronic catalog may be less expensive than a printed one.