Survey: Number of Sales Calls Received by Print Buyers Low

Lexington, Kentucky, USA - May 14, 2001 - WhatTheyThink.com, the leading on-line community and research firm in the graphic arts industry, has just completed a survey with 158 print buyers. The survey focused on the number of sales calls and meetings print buyers had with print vendors.

The questions asked:

Estimate the number of new sales "telephone" calls you receive each month from print related vendors trying to gain your business?

Estimate the number of NEW print related vendors you actually meet with over a period of a year.

Overall, 54 percent of these buyers said they receive 3 or more calls each month from print vendors seeking a relationship with their firm. 36 percent said they receive 2 calls or less each month and 9 percent said they received no calls from new print vendors. (1 percent had no opinion.)

In the question related to actual new meetings, 17 percent said they have 5 or more meetings a year with new print vendors. 58 percent said they meet with less than 5 print vendors a year and 22 percent said they do not meet with new print vendors. (3 percent had no opinion.)

Companies with less than $50,000 in print spending a year are less likely to be contacted. Only 41 percent said they received 3 or more calls a month. Conversely, 63 percent of buyers with print budgets well over $50,000 get 3 or more new calls a month. Very large buyers (describing their annual spending at over $1 million) are most likely to conduct new meetings with printers with 37 percent saying they meet with 5 or more new vendors a year.