Margie Dana

By Margie Dana

Almost every time I speak to an audience of printers, this question comes up:

Should print service providers go around print buyers to get to C-level executives?

If I ask print buyers this question, the answer is always no. If I ask printers, the answer is usually yes.

Here’s what I think.

First, keep in mind where I come from: I was a corporate print buyer in Boston for over 15 years. From time to time, printers would end-run me and go to Roger, our SVP of Corporate Communications (or even to attorneys in Legal). Roger would drop by my office and ask if I’d ever heard of Printer Such-and-Such. God bless him, he always left the decision making to me.

Our team was the on-site printing experts. Management trusted our judgment (we earned it!). Going around us got service providers nowhere.

Professionals who handle their company’s printing are often highly experienced and knowledgeable print production professionals who have final authority on which service providers to use. Anything and everything related to printing services typically go through them.

Some companies split the responsibilities between a couple of departments, so nothing I say here is written in stone.

The highest level of “print buyers” (many do not have this title and do far more than source print) work in marketing, creative, corporate communications, publications or procurement.

At the other end of the spectrum are print buyers who have little if any print knowledge. The job of getting printing done has been assigned to them. They’re not in love with print (yet) and treat it like other corporate purchases. Print buyers have a wide range of experience and responsibilities. That’s why it’s difficult making blanket statements about them.

Enter the Printer 2.0.

Many printers in 2011 are evolving into marketing services providers (MSPs). This new type of printing firm has a whole new set of tools and product offerings to help companies with marketing and business development. Highly targeted marketing VDP programs and multi-channel campaigns come to mind. These firms have moved away from “selling printing” to offering “marketing services,” so of course, marketing execs are the perfect prospects.

Therein lies the dilemma. Does a printer get to the marketing group via the print buyer or does he or she bypass the buyer and head straight for marketing?

I advise printers to be very careful with their decision. Depending on the particular organization, the buyers may be part of marketing or critically tied to marketing decision-making (I sincerely hope), and by doing an end-run, you’ll kill your chances with that company (or at least dim them). I don’t advise going around the buyer.

I know plenty of print sales professionals who disagree with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

©2011 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. Your comments are encouraged. You’re free to forward this email to friends and colleagues. However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

Kelly D'Anna

June 20, 2011 at 10:15 am

I too am fortunate that my management allows me to make all supplier/purchasing decisions for print. Not only is this actually my biggest pet peeve, but if a print service provider goes outside of my department to solicit work, they lose all credability with me for any potential work in the future. If they aren’t savvy enough to figure out how to get to me, then they don’t deserve my business. My number one rule… DO NOT bypass the Print Buyers at our agency. It will get you absolutely nowhere.

Matthew Noonan

June 20, 2011 at 10:23 am

All depends on your approach! Top down can work but I find the highest rate of success will come from a direct dialog/meeting with the decision maker(s). Having a meeting with the wrong person will rarely lead to a sale. If you contact marketing or creative services, you should probe to find out who is the decision maker. Then meet with that person or group. As someone in print sales, I would agree that if handled incorrectly, the end-run can create a dead lead.

Jeff Dickerson

June 20, 2011 at 10:27 am

This is a great topic and for my company, there is an issue of what the print supplier can do for me and for our Direct Mail group. All commercial printers work through us but have asked our permission to talk to the Direct Mail Group. We always tell them yes, but, direct mail is a different print buy and their needs change with whatever is hot in direct mail. Generally, commercial printers, do not fare well with direct mail with larger corporations. That said, direct mail providers are generally not proficient with commercial print. Build relationships with all departments in your company and help them source print so they get….. a fair price, reduced risk, ontime delivery and high quality and they will not let a sales person go around you.

Joe Fazzi

June 20, 2011 at 10:54 am

I was a print buyer for 10 years at Reader’s Digest and I can share the same experience. A good buying team has upper managements respect and support. They can “pass along” a supplier contact, but in no way did it mean we would do business with them. We had a saying at RDA in regards to new suppliers “be careful what you wish for” as we were very experienced and clear about our expectations (pricing, quality and delivery).
Joe

Jack Miler

June 20, 2011 at 12:51 pm

Hi Margie,

Great column as always. As you know, I’m doing a major research project on the evolution of print, and this toipic has come up often. My take is that the most successful printers do indeed offer “marketing services” and do indeed get to the senior marketign team (or even the IT dept.) but do not do an “end run.” If they do it right, they involve the print buyer in the process, possibly enhancing the image of the print buyer at the same time. Not always easy to do, but the best find a way.