Facts You Should Know Before Selecting a List or Insert Media Broker

Passion

Your list or insert media professional (broker) should be passionate about their “craft.” If they lack enthusiasm and depth of knowledge, they will not serve you well.

Ethics

List and insert media professionals owe their primary allegiance to clients and not bosses or vendors. No reputable list or insert media professional should advocate a specific list or insert program unless they are genuinely convinced that it will yield measurable positive results.

Experience

Is your broker an Apprentice or a Master? An apprentice is someone who has yet to achieve mastery in their craft. It takes years to achieve proficiency as a list or insert media professional. One can be experienced and still not be a master. Some media brokers never go beyond the role of “media buyer.” A telltale sign is when you ask them a question about the pedigree of a specific list or insert media program, they don’t know. A select few brokers are consultative and can back up their recommendations with authoritative information.

The Truth About List Resellers

Some “List Resellers” falsely represent themselves as brokers. They are not brokers because they do not offer independent and unbiased list recommendations. They typically resell generic compiled lists from one supplier, and have not gone through a formal multi-year apprenticeship with an experienced master broker.

Customer Service

Experienced list and insert media professionals and their co-workers should be accessible, courteous, and responsive whenever you need a helping hand, and not hide behind their voice mail or e-mail. Aside from respecting your deadlines and budget, they should take ownership when challenges arise and provide you with practical solutions.

Knowledge (“Collective Consciousness”)

When you are dealing with a masterful list or insert media professional, they represent the collective consciousness of thousands of postal, e-mail, or insert media campaigns. For example, they can authoritatively identify lists or insert programs that are likely to work for specific offers. This information is not available online, down the street, or at many traditional advertising or digital agencies. Today, brokers and mailers have access to the same basic research tools. If your broker is a master, they can tap into their historical campaign knowledge and thereby realize the full benefit of various online and offline resources. Less experienced media buyers may conduct general research but not have access to the results of various programs. Brokers earn their commissions by leveraging their knowledge and helping their clients prosper. Page 1 of 2 Facts You Should Know Before Selecting a List or Insert Media Broker

Creditworthiness

If you are expecting the most favorable terms from your broker, the broker’s company must be creditworthy. If you are unsure, you can request a credit report from one of three bureaus or simply ask for trade references.

Listening Skills

When you are speaking with your broker, it is important for them to listen and respond with timely and relevant list or insert media recommendations. When brokers assess your needs, they should ask pertinent questions and not “…do most of the talking” or serve up a one-size-fits-all solution.

Negotiating

Aside from communications skills, your broker should have a passion for “wheeling and dealing” and not be afraid to ask for concessions from list or insert media program managers. To deal from a position of strength, they must generate substantial orders, know their stuff, and represent a brokerage company that has a good long-term reputation.

Ability to identify “non-endemic” markets and new channels

An experienced list or insert media professional should be able to identify prospects outside of your core market that can be mailed profitably. They may also suggest alternate marketing channels to expand your reach.

David versus Goliath

The most important consideration when you are comparing list or insert media companies is not size, it is “real-world” experience purchasing multi-channel media over a period of years on behalf of your competitors or others targeting your audience. If your broker has a proven track record working with direct marketers in your industry, they should be given preference over so-called “wannabes.”

Professional Affiliations

Does your list or insert media broker attend local or regional direct marketing industry conferences and events? If they do, they are among those who are committed to keeping up with industry trends and learning about new products or services that are frequently debuted at these same events.

To speak with one of AccuList USA’s master brokers, please call (877) 445-4787.

Copyright 2009 By AccuList, Inc.