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TM: What do you like most about the list business?
AZ: The people. And the measurable medium it is.
TM: What do you like least about the list business?
AZ: Shady operators. Fortunately, few and far between!
TM:The list business is not something that is taught in great detail in marketing courses. What are the qualities you look for in candidates in terms of education, experience and personality? Can you prioritize these qualities?
AZ: A willingness to learn. A high level of attention to detail. An aptitude working with numbers. An enthusiasm for the business and the people they work with. The ability to think on their feet and outside of the box. Someone who is not afraid to ask questions.
TM: How do you go about training new hires—teaching the list business so that clients have a real comfort level when those people service them?
AZ: Imparting as much of my knowledge of the business to them. Stressing customer service as a standard of their day-to-day activities. Having them realize their clients are equally under the gun in providing information to THEIR clients and to react to their queries as you’d you like others to react to yours. Education, knowledge and customer service are the cornerstones for every list manager.
TM: If you could wave a magic wand, what changes would you make in the list business?
AZ: List pirates would disappear. Mailers that prey on senior citizens would recognize that one day they too, with luck, will be one. Is it too late to ask for Electronic Data Interchange?
TM: How have co-op databases changed the list business?
AZ: They offer mailers tangible, alternative, responsive options. They also have compromised, to a degree, the ability to maximize list revenues through competitive pricing and negotiations.
TM: How has e-commerce changed the list business?
AZ: I believe e-commerce will soon come to the realization that direct mail is its best option to drive consumers to purchase online.
TM: What would you like to say to colleagues, clients and competitors about the state of the list business today—or anything else?
AZ: We have lived through the best of times and the worst of times and have nothing but a bright future to look forward to. Every day you wake up is a good day. Think of others less fortunate and count your blessings.
TM: What are your interests other than the list business?
AZ: I love being at sea onboard ocean liners—another entity that has dwindled in numbers. Don’t anyone tell me a cruise ship is an ocean liner! I have two gorgeous daughters finding their way through a challenging world. I’ve learned that I love to cook and the kitchen has become a playground. Finding time to read a good book has become a challenge. Go Jets & Mets!
Marissa Fabris, a former editor at Inside Direct Mail, is a freelance writer based in West Chester, Pa.
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