What catches your eye in a catalog?

I have a customer that is going to put together a catalog of system that I have done for them. This catalog will include demos and actual system that we have done. This isn't for me to show off it is for their sales force to hand out and generate leads. They have wireless radios, I/O and data (Modbus RTU).
We have done HMI, SCADA and PLC systems.

So what catches your eye when a salesman shows you something?

When I was an end user I liked to see system that where a little different and odd to me. This gave me ideas of what someone else was doing and a possibility of how to do it better.
As usual I can't pass out trade secrets, but really how many times can we re-invent the wheel?

Thanks for your time.

The flashing lights always catch peoples interest.
I like to see the PLC and controls actually working. The input and output lights going on and off in unison with the machines actions. (or pictures of)
Servo controls. (all lit and working - same with inverters)

The product being produced during its raw and finished state.

The Price-Cost. Its usually in smallprint hidden away at the back, put it unashamedly up front.

Examples of panels that are laid out and have nice spacing with a description of what the panel does.

And also a panel that is crammed together with a statement that this was the customers requirements.

Pictures of panels are nice, but a brief explination of what the panel does is icing on the cake.

Have a detailed sheet telling the customer what he is getting.
3 manuals that include specifications, quote of job less price, detailed sequence of events, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical prints, plc program printout, bill of materials with vendors and so on.

regards,
james

How about pictures of Nice Looking Girls operating the equipment.

free Pen Drive 8GB

+1 Sparky
Hate to say it but attractive people are very effective in gaining attention.

If you can swing it, Penny from Big Bang Theory, she is now associated with geeky or smart things due to her role so its attractive female with association should be good to go.

+2 BCS

I was going to say. "Much of my mind is still as it was when I was 15 years old"....(49 now) Maybe I'm odd...

You asked...I'm just sayin, and if she understands PLC's all the better.

In "maybe" more seriousness; teach me something and I certainly appreciate it; Specific examples of scenarios, how the product addressed them and the finished results with operator testimonials and contact info of as many parties involved as possible, tech service, operators who made the decision to go with your work in the past and are now glad they did?

humble 2 cents,

Good luck with the lead generation either way...

BCS, (pretty lady operator) isn't that how all the guys on the boat look after 3 months at sea (except of course the really ugly ones).

The part about Penny was a joke, but the part about attractive people is not.

The issues I have with specific examples is typically it is typically not my specific example, usually when I am looking for a product I only care if a it can do what I want it to. Too often I see scenarios that it works in that are close to what I want but different enough it won't work in my case.

Compatibility listings are huge to me. General statements like "Works with most PLCs/HMIs" I hate that and shy away from products that say that and provide no details. I have been burned by that a couple of times. Usually because it works with that component but only certain sets of features do, and usually not the feature you bought it for.

Features vs benefits:
Features are great but if you can't convince me I can turn those features into some kind of benefit for me/company I work for, a ton of features means practically nothing to me

pictures of HMI on smart phones/tablets seem to work to.

people seem to be willing to spend more if they get to operate their new toys with a fancy iPad.

"Much of my mind is still as it was when I was 15 years old"....(49 now) Maybe I'm odd...

Click to expand...

I spend 3-4 months at a time at sea! So I dont think you are Odd in your thinking at all!!

BCS, (pretty lady operator) isn't that how all the guys on the boat look after 3 months at sea (except of course the really ugly ones).

Click to expand...

I will NEVER be at sea long enough to start having those kind of delusions, even if I never see land again.



Also you would not believe how hard it was to find a picture of an attractive woman operating or even standing next to anything to do with automation.
The picture I posted was the only one I could find that I would even consider posting. She is a perfect 10 compared to the rest that google turned up.

Sounds like a good thread to start, anyone work with some nice looking ladys willing to snap a photo next to control cabinet?
Maybe Jeff will use them in his catalog.

I will post a couple shots of the guys operating the Surimi panel just for Duckman.

BCS

pictures of HMI on smart phones/tablets seem to work to.

people seem to be willing to spend more if they get to operate their new toys with a fancy iPad.

Click to expand...

That is a good example of feature vs benefit.

Many people do find that feature to provide a lot of benefit in remote monitoring, however our automation is not networked together, all standalone systems that talk to nothing else so in my case it provides no benefit.

BCS...I would probably get fired for trying that at my company, even though there is some that suit the role quite well

Fired for posting pics of the plant for 1, ***ual harassment/discrimination issues would be standing in line to take a shot if the first one didn't get me axed