Margie Dana

Eavesdropping on Print Buyers

(Do You Hear What I hear?)

If you're a commercial printer, listening to a group of print buyers discuss their buying habits is an education.

Even though buyers are not all the same and are motivated and influenced by personal reasons, you can glean valuable insights about the entire print buyer population by listening to them when they convene.

It's one reason why I love moderating buyer panels. Panelists' comments always ring true to my ears. I've been focusing on this community for 10 straight years now (Happy Anniversary to me) and producing print buyer panels for nearly as long.

Here are some insights from our four panelists on the buyers' panel that took place at our conference. The panelists represented a major advertising agency, a Boston-based university, one financial services firm located in Boston, and another based in NYC. At least two of the panelists had 20+ years of experience.

Listen in to what I learned from them.

One of their biggest challenges today is color consistency. It makes managing quality difficult. One person said a lack of scheduling in her organization was her biggest issue.

What influences their printer selection? These were mentioned: A printer's ability to deliver when expected/needed, sticking to original pricing, competitive pricing, delivering customer education, a printer's capabilities and reputation, and great samples.

I asked them to look ahead and predict what's likely to change about their print-purchasing needs in the next few years. One financial services buyer said that printing/fulfillment will come closer together (a common theme I've been hearing for months now). Our agency panelist said her firm will get more creative with their use of digital printing. The second financial services panelist said they'll reduce the amount of printed products they have, moving much of it to the web.

In every panel event, I ask participants to describe the perfect printing company.

One person said it's a family-owned business that's clean and has good equipment, great people (including a very knowledgeable salesperson), and plenty of back-up in cases of emergency.

Another panelist made the point that he wants printers to make him feel like he's #1. Sales reps should act like he is their only customer when they're dealing with him.

A third panelist stated that the ideal printer communicates well and feeds her educational information - as opposed to fancy lunches.

The audience, comprised of both printers and buyers, had the chance to ask their own questions as well. Panelists enjoy themselves; the audience learns something: good stuff all around.

Panelists' comments never surprise me. Participants are always open and direct. Sometimes they confirm what you believe - or they may even infuriate you. I don’t' always agree with them myself, but regardless, it's a learning opportunity.

©2007 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues: please do! However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

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