I've noticed that my area Ford dealers (NC) are going paperless, and many of the models represented do not have sales brochures covering them in the dealer showrooms. When I asked about getting an F-150 sales brochure included in my purchase, the dealer said that they did not stock them, nor did they know from where they could obtain one.

Now, isn't that a bit strange? Saving on paper costs, but how many potential customers lose interest without that brochure sitting on the kitchen table to remind them to go out and buy that vehicle?

Lucky for me, I decided to look on the Internet, and have ordered one from Ford Motor. I can also download a pdf file, but nothing feels as good as reading a physical brochure.

Jus'Sayin'

 

They are like $6 each (to the dealer, not if you order one from ford from the link below) and have a horrible return on investment. Very rare does a brochure go out and a customer come back in. If you just walk in and want one, we haven't done our job. If we spend time with you and take a look at some vehicles together I'll make sure you don't forget by email or phone. I know from the consumer side you want to collect information, but we don't get paid to give information, we get paid to sell cars. Giving information is part of that process, but it takes the control we have out of our hands. We can give you the information better, and maintain control by specifically addressing your needs, wants, etc. A good salesman is more valuable than a brochure to you the customer in this way. Giving that up is just poor business! You keep control while researching on your own, but for us to spend money to intentionally lose control doesn't make sense. Times have changed in regards to information.

Ford Brochure link for anyone who would like a paper copy as part of their own research. Sometimes they even send you a coupon with the request! This is an extra unadvertised rebate, its not like one a dealership sends that could have been negotiated anyway.

 

I can see Frantz's point, but brochures are a cost of doing business. When I bought my Platinum F-150 in May of this year, the first dealer I went to said they no longer supply paper brochures, and that all the info was online. I went to a different dealer, got a brochure, and spent some time studying it and comparing it to the Ram brochure I also had picked up. I decided on the Ford. I'll give you three guesses (the first two don't count) as to which dealer I bought my $60k truck at. Yeah, the second dealer is 8 miles further from my house, but his $6 investment paid off. It's called advertising.

 

I can't say we haven't ever lost a deal. I had a guy ask for a Transit brochure last week and got pouty cause I told him no and refused to let me help him. But I can make a much bigger list of people who when they ask for a brochure and it simply opened up a door for us to talk about their questions and let me invite them to look at my inventory in person and do some research together online. I might miss YOUR sale, but I can assure you that overall I'm ahead of the game by saying no and using it as a chance to be someone to answer questions. It's not so much about being cheap, but effective selling process. Most important though, you "dodged" a bullet by getting the Ford!

 

Brochures were practical before the internet became so widely used. I haven't looked at or even wanted to look at a brochure in decades.

I have no heart burn with helping a new salesperson gain some knowledge and experience on a slow day while acting like a lot rat. My buying process is painfully slow and methodical. A booklet can't help me.

 

Yeah you won't forget about them as they'll call you to death if they have your number.

 

Yep, we do the same in my line of work. Proper follow-ups are important, you can bet the competition is doing them.

 

I'll stop calling when you buy ;-)
Actually I prefer email. And for the young generation, texting is near bullet proof. Feels like you're talking to a friend! If you don't answer my emails, you'll get a call to make sure I have the right email address though.

 

For those looking for electronic versions of sales brochures ....
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-click- the pic'
Goth 150
< This space intentionally -blank- >

 

I requested from Ford a 2015 printed brochure on 10/29 after I purchased my 2015 XLT. There was an option on the site (also recommended by Frantz) by which to obtain a 2015 brochure. Have not yet received it.

I have received a brochure on the 2016 Fusion, which I had also requested because I am shopping hybrid options. Mind you, I am a loyal Ford fan, but if I do not get a physical brochure on the truck that I have already purchased, that will indeed influence my purchase of another Ford product.

I've even looked online for a store that might be selling one of these and there are none do that I can find. I guess that I am old-fashioned and in a minority here, but I do like to read these brochures over from time to time, and holding one is a lot more satisfying than reading a pdf on a Kindle.

Just for the record, I am waiting for the Porsche Macan to go hybrid and then I will think about that car as a candidate. I can get a brochure on this car any day from my friends at Porsche, and this does influence my decisions. At least they understand the power of printed material for selling the brand!

So I'm still waiting...
=rds289k

 

So if I send you a copy of a '15 brochure does that mean you'll come buy from me next time? ;-)

Seriously though, You're saying that the decision to buy your next truck is based on getting a brochure for the truck you have? You've proven the counter to your own point! I do have some '15 brochures though so if you get despite and it will help keep you from going to a crappy truck in the future, PM me and I'll take care of you.

 

I have the printed brochures from the last few Ford trucks that I have bought as well as the last few John Deere tractors and equipment. For one I like to compare the features that they were touting back then to today. Second as was mentioned above, I much prefer to hold and read a brochure and thoroughly study it and highlight things that interest me. If I research on the 'net then I have to print off the materials and this costs me ink and paper. A printed sales brochure is a cost of doing business just like placing an ad on TV. A TV ad doesn't guarantee that I will buy from you any more than handing me a brochure does. Furthermore when I buy, I want to do my own research. I don't want a salesman bugging me. When I am ready I will ask for help.
When I was a kid we would go to the State Fair of Texas every year. The Automotive building was full of shiny new cars and trucks. I would collect brochures from every make and model there, then bring them home and read and study them. This is why back in those days I could recognize any vehicle that I saw on the street- today I don't know what 80% of the vehicles out there are.

 

I got the 2016 printed brochure in the mail last week; it's very small and brief. The pdf file is much more extensive. If you want all the technical specifics on towing, gvwr and dimensions, go with the pdf and print which pages you want.

I stopped in my local dealership last month and got an old 2015 F150 brochure and it's more like a catalogue and maybe worthy of $6. The 2016 brochure is more like a flimsy piece of junk mail that fills up my mail box this time of year.

 

Ford hasn't mailed the larger brochure for quite a few years. You have to go to the dealership and get the "good" one. When your dealer gets the '16 brochure they will be the same as the pdf file on the Ford website

 

Yes, you will find that the brochure sent through the mail is much smaller than the brochure sent through the mail by Ford.... I believe that the PDF may be the "Full" brochure that many of the dealers have... Now most dealers do not have the brochures out for grabbing but will provide a brochure to those that sit down and talk with a salesman first and then request it...


It's basically a dealership call, do they think if might sell a truck, due they think it might give the customer an impression that they provide better customer service, etc.