| Startups Need List Brokers, Too! (continued) By Denny Hatch Back
Don Malt Associates Market Share 5726 Cortez Rd. W., #303 Bradenton, FL Phone: (941) 794-6059; Fax: (941) 792-0786 rasmkt@aol.com Regarding your article "Startups need brokers, too", we have been involved in numerous startups since I founded Market Share in 1989. After we receive their first query, we ask them to complete a questionnaire. On the basis of the questionnaire, we decide if we think they have potential. Two of our recent startup clients were Bucio Lingerie (a catalog of lingerie for larger women) and The Young Scientists Club (a continuity membership for Kids 4-10). We have had a wide variety of B-to-B and consumer startup clients. Marketry, Inc. contact: Greg Swent (greg@marketry.com) 1601 116th Avenue SE Suite 130 Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 451-1262 ph. (425) 451-1941 fx. www.marketry.com Marketry is always interested in start ups. Why? Let me bore you with a bit of my person history in this regard. In the mid 1970s I was consulting with colleges and universities for developing and marketing seminars. As such I controlled the processing of close to 10 million pieces of mail a year, and had a very competitive price with a cheshire label mailing service bureau. In 1978 I started a seminar company of my own, and approached the owner of the service bureau to provide me the same price I had previously, based on the large volume price, even though my volume as a start up was really very small. He agreed to that special pricing. Within two years my company was mailing 17 to 19 million pieces a year! The owner of that company, up until he sold to a larger company, repeated that story over and over. So I know start ups can grow to be much larger. Primary emphasis for Marketry is b-to-b, about 75 percent of that is high tech, software, hardware, peripherals, etc. We have survived (and grown) for 20 years now! Clients include marketers such as Siebel Systems, Great Plains Software (now owned by MicroSoft), HP through an ad agency, Microsoft through an ad agency, WRQ Software, Advanstar (publishing & trade shows), Freedom Technology Media Group (publisher), Harvard Business School seminars, etc. Maximum Response Group contact: Elsie Freshwater (elsief4@Home.com) 26414 Barranquilla Ave. Punta Gorda, FL 33983 (941) 629-8849 ph. (941) 629-8857 fx. I find it hard to believe any broker would pass up business. As you said, it might be the next Sharper Image. Anyway, I would certainly like to be on your list. My current clients include B-to-B, (I do some database brokerage for Amer. Mgm't. Assoc.), Jenasol of Florida, (consumers, vitamins), Graphik Dimensions, (custom picture frames marketed to both consumers and businesses). In the past, I've worked with Nightingale Conant, (self-help cassettes), Fancy Publishing, (pet magazines), and Sporting Dog Specialties, (pet catalogs). I've also worked with the business division of Phillips Publishing. In summing up, I would say my experience, both past and present, has been with a wide variety of mailers. I would appreciate any business you might send my way. MGILists contact: Amy Seyler (amy@mgilists.com) 209 Madison St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1764 (703) 706-0373 ph. (703) 836-2031 fx. www.mgilists.com We specialize in working with associations, publishers, and catalogers, mostly in the business realm but a few on the consumer side too. We focus on education, health and social services/youth-at-risk, but we have worked with a variety of mailers in other industries. We also specialize in working with smaller clients to maintain the one-on-one customer service we feel is critical for our clients' success. I think MGI Lists would be a perfect fit for start-up businesses. Millard Group Linda McAleer 10 Vosse Farm Road Peterborough, NH 03458 (603) 964-9262 www.millard.com Mokrynski & Associates 401 Hackensack Avenue Hackensack, NJ 07601 (201) 488-5656 www.mokrynski.com Name Finders contact: Brad Pagano (brad@namefinders.com) 160 Sansome Street San Francisco, CA 94104 (800)742-9869 ext 241 ph. (415) 955-8581 fx. www.namefinders.com Count us in Denny. We offer our services to startups and provide them with free seminars on direct mail and mailing lists. Our founder and president, Rosalie Bulach, created and currently conducts the UC Berkley graduate seminar on database and mailing list methods for direct marketing. We also offer this seminar free to new clients ... startups and/or old-hats. Name-Finders Lists has been in business since 1981. Some of our clients include: Investors Business Daily (Publishing), Windsor Vineyards (Catalog), The American Legion (Fund Raising), IQPC (Seminars), Fast Signs (b-to-b), Lucent Technologies, Oracle, Sun Microsystems (hi-tech). Let us know how we can help, and next steps. NRL Direct contact: Steve Bogner (sbogner@ nrldirect.com) 50 Piermont Road Cresskill, NJ 07626 (201) 568-0707 ph. (201) 568-9893 fx. www.nrldirect.com I personally have built quite a business in 26 years as a list broker doing exactly as you recommend. Try to find startups, advise them properly and help them reach their potential. After all, "From little seeds big trees grow.” I was involved with the first Frontgate, Herrington and Improvements catalogs. I also worked with Levenger from their initial mailing of rentals (March, '91) until early 1996. When we stopped working with them they had grown from several thousand customers to more than 280,000 in 12 months. We remain the broker/manager for the other titles. First, we do not spend much time trying to unseat competitors from their clients. We concentrate on building our own relationships. Secondly, we believe it to be potentially harmful if a newer, younger broker is assigned to a startup. startups, more than anyone, need all of the experience and expertise they can get. I can share some very interesting stories of what some startups are told to mail. In fact, I just got off a lengthy conversation with a former employee of one of our largest clients who has a very interesting idea for a startup. Most entrepreneurial individuals are very loyal to those who help launch them on their way to success. I have experienced great satisfaction in helping to build the above mentioned companies. Ric Leichtung once referred to me as an unsalaried employee of his company. Several years later he sold for close to $20 million. We would welcome the opportunity to work with any startup you come across. However, let me warn you I am going to recommend people not to proceed if I do not think they have a solid chance for success. PCS List & Information Technologies contact: Doug Hall (doug@pcslists.com) PCS List & Information Technologies 39 Cross Street Peabody, MA 01960 (978) 532-7100 ph. (978) 532-9181 fx. As list brokers we cannot forget that we were all startups in this industry, just like we can't forget that we have mothers! Over the last 23 years PCS Mailing List Company has worked with all kinds of small mailers, some have become large successful direct marketers, many have merged into larger entities, some have fallen by the wayside for a variety of timely reasons. We certainly did our best to get several Internet startups to do direct mail before it was too late- some did well. We say in the text of our catalog of lists that "We take time to educate novice direct marketers as part of our service." This has been the foundation of customer relationships. Historically we work in business, professional publishing, education and vertical lifestyle markets. (i.e., if you have to know more about your consumer than where to mail to them and inferred income!) We have clients in finance (like Paine Webber), many professional publishers (WB Saunders/Mosby; Lexis), seminar and education providers (Harvard Graduate School of Design; Sterling; AICPA), sciences publishers (Nature Magazine)and new biotech/research companies, magazines and catalogs as well as professional associations. Nevertheless we also do regular list recommendations for local politicians, Chambers of Commerce and regional theater groups. It isn't a risk-free proposition to build business but we have learned a lot along the way- from our own experience and while helping our clients. Sharing that to a prospective client is free! It is what we do when we research. If there is any way that I can be of help, please let me know or contact Response Unlimited, Inc. contact: Philip Zodhiates (pzodhiates@ru-lists.com) 284 Shalom Road Waynesboro, VA 22980 (540) 943-6721 ph. (540) 943-0841 fx. www.responseunlimited.com New mailers with good ideas and good potential are our forte. We love turning good ideas into thriving, profitable organizations. We love landing the brokerage for existing mailers, but the new stuff I personally really thrive on. While our company does fund-raising more than anything, we've helped provide ideas or helped implement ideas that have turned into successful catalog ventures (e.g. Southwest Indian Foundation, America), publications (e.g. World Magazine, New American, Quit You Like Men, Midnight Call, etc.) or video/music/continuity programs that include children's Our clients love us not only for our excellent list brokerage services (both business-to-business and consumer) but for our creative and production brokerage services and complimentary internet marketing capabilities. We'd love to be included in your directory. And we'll consider every opportunity that comes along. Statlistics John F. Papalia (j.papalia@statlistics.com) 11 Lake Avenue Ext. Danbury, CT 06811 203-778-8700 x104 ph. 203-778-4839 fx. www.statlistics.com Great idea--a directory of list brokers for startup mailers. Both ends of this equation will greatly benefit. I have two brokers on staff with a fair amount of experience and the willingness to work with startups. Please include them in your directory. Tom Chillot Director of Sales TMA 9663-C Main Street Fairfax, VA 22032 Direct (703) 426-4405 Fax (703) 978-7832 tchillot@tmalist.com As the Director of Sales for TMA (Tony Murray and Associates), I can tell you that we often work with start-ups and find them a tremendous source for new business opportunities. You hit \the nail on the head when you mention the likelihood of referrals resulting from a recommendation for a start-up who is usually unfamiliar with the list-buying process. We are more than willing to work with these people as they often will come back to those who help them in the 'lean times', whether still with their original venture or for their next 'big idea'. I would love to be included in the directory of brokers that you are pulling together who are willing to work with start-ups. Feel free to reference any of the clients listed on the testimonial page of our website (www.tmalist.com). As for specialty, we really span the spectrum. From agencies to individual start-ups, we offer expertise gained from a diverse clientele base in the business-to-business, business-to-consumer and non-profit marketplaces. Jennifer Honadel (JHonadel@21staz.com ) 1750 New Highway Farmingdale, NY 11796 (631) 293.8550, ext 208 ph. (631) 293-8974 fx. www.21staz.com I read your article in the November issue of Target Magazine and I'm raising my hand! As for our specialties - you may know that AZ Marketing and 21st Century Marketing became one company in December of last year, combining two market leaders! Our expertise is in virtually every market, from catalog publishing and technology to business to business, non-profit, gardening and more. Some of our clients include: Office Depot, Micro Center, Sundance Catalog among many others! My contact information is below! Thank you for the opportunity to be part of your directory! Valerie Davis &Associates contact: Pamela Kelley (pamela@carneydirect.com) 500 Commercial Street - 4th Floor Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 624-9220 ph. (603) 645-1121 fx. First and foremost, I very much enjoyed reading your short article in the November issue of Target Marketing Magazine it certainly touched on one of my favorite subjects, the start up.We are a small brokerage firm, recently purchased by Carney Direct Marketing, an Irvine, CA based DM Company who had been searching for an East Coast presence, as it were...and we found each other to be a seemingly good fit. I am attaching a client roster for your perusal, it only lists our major sources of revenue but it has always been the smaller clients I have gravitated toward, simply because they are always so eager and interested to learn and it's always more fun to help the "Nantucket Nectars" of the world as opposed to the "Martha Stewarts". I would be honored if you could include us in the upcoming directory you have planned and will, as always welcome the opportunity to work with all those who may need my assistance. We have been operating MarketingFile.com for over 3 years now. It is a fully automated online list selection/purchase/download system backed up by dedicated customer service staff who will help with questions about list, selections, strategy, legislation etc. Unlike the list delivery websites I see in the USA, we offer not just a single B2B and a single consumer lifestyle database, but over 130 databases supplied by about 30 of the leading list-owners. We are a broker/manager that not only is prepared to work with startups & small businesses - our whole purpose is to service this market. We currently service many thousands of small businesses in the UK and abroad either direct or through over 200 "resellers". These are not traditional brokers (who largely still "don't get it") but other people that small businesses trust for advice about marketing (i.e. business advisors, print & copy-shops, marketing consultants, ad agencies etc) and who are happy to supply the list as part of a bundle of higher value products or services. Whilst many brokers/managers/owners say they are happy to service smaller clients, most apply minimum order quantities or charges for counts or selections that effectively deter the small list purchaser. Our average sale is around $150 and it is only by removing cost through automation that this sort of business can be made economic.Online list delivery, backed up by excellent customer service, is the only way forward for the small business sector. management. Members of the U.S. Direct Marketing Association, the Federation of European Direct Marketing and the International List Council. With years of industry experience, together with a global alliance of professional resources and business partners, World Innovators encompasses a wide range of services and strategies to meet your mailing needs. World Innovators is known for its personalized service. Each client is handled on an individual basis in an effort to reach their targeted audience and to generate the greatest return for their marketing dollar. All channels are thoroughly researched before final recommendations are made. Before any research begins we first listen to your ideas, specifications and objectives. World Innovators is your one-stop solution to all your direct marketing requirements. As Experienced List Brokers we will search out lists looking for quality not quantity of names within your targeted audience. World Innovators can obtain any list available in the world to complete your mail plan. We have direct access to thousands of mailing lists in the United States and around the world. As Aggressive List Managers we are willing to do the extra promotion and make the extra calls to generate the highest possible income for you without your losing control of your lists. It is through our vast experience in the various markets that we have earned our reputation. We constantly equip ourselves with the latest in marketing technology and market know-how. You can think of World Innovators as a valuable, experienced, extension of your own company. As direct marketing specialists, we strive to provide all of our customers with the highest level of quality, reliability, professionalism, and integrity while building a worldwide reputation for outstanding service and performance. World Innovators Inc. Donna Peterson 72 Park Street; New Canaan, CT 06840 Phone: 203 - 966 - 0374; Fax : 203 - 966 - 0926 Email: list-info@worldinnovators.com Back | Top of the page |