Today, when a company receives an email from a prospective buyer requesting more information, what do they have to send? In years past, they'd send out a black and white brochure they just ran off an old ink jet printer? Maybe they'd some direct mail postcards from the trade fair they attended in 2003? That's simply not good enough in today's competitive business climate.

Even if businesses don’t expect to have a massive request for sales materials, they'll have some requests. If they don’t have some semblance of professional marketing materials, they simply won’t be taken seriously – nor should you be.

The point is, if they’re done well, marketing materials can remain effective for a long time. They allow businesses to position themselves ahead of their competitors as the obvious choice. Marketing materials are an effective way for smaller companies to deliver their unique selling proposition to buyers. Good materials can make even small and mid-size players look like leaders in their industries. They provide sales representatives the resources they need to be effective in sales meetings. They also provide the tools they need to create appointments and follow up. Not having great—or even good—marketing materials is a tremendous liability.

The trend is obvious. Quality marketing materials are becoming more and more vital to business success. Customers or clients, more than ever, are choosing to do business with those companies who present a visual portrait of success.