I think the expense of listing vs. how many customers will need to buy is the issue.
just because they can't write the catalog doesn't mean it's wrong, or right...
Most salesmen are wholly ignorant of what they're selling. I once had to redo an entire catalog for a company that I worked for. Our marketing person was functionally illiterate (much worse than product of the public school system me). Specifications were wrong, graphs were obviously wrong. They were usually swapped - performance of A labeled as Performance of B and vice-versa. The marketing manager hired a technical writer consultant to clean up the mess first and this highly recommended guy was starting sentences with "so." We dumped him and I agreed to fix it. Our marketing man had a hissy fit when I eliminated product options that we didn't actually make and others that required sub-assemblies that no one made and didn't even exist.
He was also infamous for putting out ridiculous specifications on new products, having them rejected by engineering, and then coming back claiming he'd fixed them as told - sign off here, when he hadn't. In meetings he would then deny all and try to stick us with the specifications.
Of course all of the honest folk were let go before him during the next down turn.
At least they got one honest and non-embarrassing catalog before I left for greener pastures. This guy probably went into politics afterwards.
In the old days, companies didn't allow or tolerate slipshod work and dishonesty, nor did they put the ignorant or untrained in positions of responsibility, but welcome to the modern world of business.
End of rant. I just need cooling fans outside in the hazloc area. I'll check more before buying.
Matt
