Meet the Broker: Regan Adler

Today we meet Regan Adler, director of list brokerage at Worldata. She negotiates for e-mail files and to a lesser extent postal lists, was well as other types of online media for business-to-business marketers.

Adler has been with Worldata for nearly 10 years. She started in operations, where she developed both relationships with list managers and her knowledge of lists. She’s been doing list brokerage for more than five years.

Adler provides consulting and brokerage services for LRP Publications, Dice Holdings Inc. and Citrix Systems Inc., among other clients in high tech markets.

“I usually work with response and controlled circulation e-mail lists, not survey or registration generated e-mail lists,” Adler said. “I’m always looking at ROI, click through and open rates.”

Her clients mostly rent e-mail files, but Adler keeps her eyes open for lead generation opportunities for building house files, with Web site co-registration, Internet banners and advertising in e-mail newsletters.

“I’m trying to do what’s best for my clients. When I contact a Web site owner I want to know they can offer my clients. And often it can be negotiated as a package deal,” said Adler.

Besides reviewing methodologies used for collecting names, schedules for updating lists and comparing available test and continuation list usage, Adler opts herself in on e-mail lists. “It’s another way to find out who’s using a file,” she said.

Outside of work, Adler normally enjoys long-distance running and plays in a women’s soccer league. She enjoys the beach during the summer and skis in the winter. She’s on a temporary hiatus now.

On March 23 while jogging, she was hit by car and suffered multiple bone fractures from her right ankle to ribs, exacerbated by a collapsed lung.

“I was out on my morning jog, training for my first triathlon. I don’t remember the impact, but I was conscious of everything else the whole time,” said Adler.

“Everything on the right side of my body was broken. I didn’t have any head injuries though and I’m expected to recover fully,” she said. “I feel lucky I’m alive.”

During her hospitalization, Adler received visits from the owners of Worldata and co-workers, plus many cards, balloons, plants and e-mails (read to her) from clients, which all helped cheer her up.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to my regular routine and life. I expect to be able to walk without crutches on June 18. That’s my target date for returning to work,” she said.

What do you like most about list brokerage?

“I like the competitiveness of it that I feel everyday,” Adler said. “Anyone can (cold) call a major mailer, but the challenge is getting your foot in the door.”

Adler said she’s not deterred when a prospective client says, “‘I’m very happy with the broker I’m already working with’ because I hear that a lot.”

She makes follow up calls to prospective clients to build relationships, develop rapport and inquire about business in general, while pursuing her goal—an invitation to submit some list recommendations.

“It all about throwing out some ideas, thinking outside the box and not recommending something that’s obvious,” she said. “I ask what lists are working, so I can come up with some other new ideas for them.”

For Adler this often means approaching list owners with files not already on the market—to find unique lists to consider for recommendations.

How has multi-channel marketing affected business for list brokers?

Adler said in her experience, low quantities of available matching postal and telemarketing records leads many e-mail marketers to shy away from multi-channel marketing.

B-to-B high tech marketers, according to Adler, are willing to test postal and even telemarketing lists, but they still primarily stick to e-mail lists, a phenomenon that Adler said she suspects is common among many e-mail marketers.

Multi-channel marketing presents unique challenges for list brokers, particularly in niche markets. It can be difficult to find substantial matching records for campaigns using postal, telemarketing and e-mail lists.

Matching e-mail addresses and telephone numbers might only be available for 40% of a postal list and the percentage will be much lower when targeting a niche market, she said.

“These are often awareness campaigns to get something in the mail, receive a phone call and then an e-mail. The response can go down, but maybe the quality of the leads generated goes up,” she added.

According to Adler demand for lists to use for multi-channel marketing comes from brokers and clients alike. “It all comes down to looking at the budget,” she said.

Know someone you'd like to suggest for Meet the Broker? E-mail Jim.Emerson@Penton.com.