STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 1999--When asked about the likelihood of buying a product or service from a mailpiece vs. a telephone solicitation, U.S. consumers who respond to direct marketing stated a preference for mail by a four to one margin (74% for direct mail vs. 18.5% for telemarketing). This was a major finding of a new, national study commissioned by Pitney Bowes Mailing Systems, a division of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI).

This preference for mail over telemarketing is supported by the fact that 76.5% of the respondents feel that direct mail offers the best information to base a decision on. Furthermore, nearly 56% of the consumers surveyed feel that mail is more convenient than telemarketing when placing an order.

"If businesses want to reach customers and develop a lasting relationship, mail should be the marketing vehicle. Compared to cold calls at dinnertime, consumers like mail better because it is much less intrusive, and it gives them a feeling of being in control ," said Tim Bates, Vice President, Marketing, Pitney Bowes Mailing Systems. "Direct mail also allows for a comprehensive amount of information to be delivered directly to the home. This is critical for consumers when trying to make a purchasing decision."

Nearly half (49.3%) of the consumers surveyed said that most of the direct mail they receive is informative and/or entertaining, while only 13.9% of consumers said the same for telemarketing calls. In fact, nearly 74% of the consumers interviewed found the telemarketing calls they received to be "annoying."

The Pitney Bowes Mail vs. Telemarketing survey was conducted by International Communications Research (ICR) by telephone in August 1999 among 485 U.S. households that have ordered goods or services as a direct result of responding to a mailpiece, a telemarketing solicitation, or both.

Pitney Bowes is a $4.2 billion premier provider of informed mail and messaging management. For more information about the company, please visit our web site at: www.pitneybowes.com.