Meet the Broker: Introducing David Hare of New England List Services Inc.

Today we meet David Hare, founder and president of New England List Services Inc. Hare secures lists for consumer mailers in financial services and other markets. He also does some brokerage for nonprofit organizations and business-to-business mailers.

Hare brokers solo, working primarily with postal lists. He does his own list research and recommendations, relying on an online list directory, his analysis of the target audience and the client's demographic specifications.

Small companies handle brokerage differently than larger firms, where lead brokers typically deal with clients upfront, while assistants do the list research for list recommendations, he notes.

Hare earned his list chops as a mailer, segmenting and testing files for card pack mailings. He sold the advertising in the packs, so he had to hone his list acquisition and testing skills to keep clients coming back.

"Clients create good list brokers. They always want better pricing and better results. At times it makes them difficult to work with, but that's how brokers become better mailers' advocates—and get better net name deals and selection fees waived."

Hare founded New England List Services in 2001 so he could work from his home in Danville, VT. He credits the success of the business to his wife and support from the Vermont Small Business Center and Vermont Small Business Administration.

His brokerage clients include the Investors Protection Association, Gulf Coast Western, Retirement Track Seminars, SHBK Financial, Diabetic Supply, Addison County Home Health Hospice and the Bundy Center for the Arts.

Some clients he works with mail in excess of one million names annually. The list continuation orders he places are mostly for 25,000 or more names, quantities that ordinarily provide good negotiating leverage for discounts.

Hare has many interests besides list brokerage. He participates in Civil War battle reenactments and is a musician who plays percussion instruments for several groups. But what he enjoys most is playing concerts in parks during the summer. He also likes working in the garden and riding his antique tractor.

What's most important for targeting lists?

Understanding the demographics of a client's customers is crucial and more important than offhand statements clients may make about their perception of ideal customers, Hare says.

"It's just as important to find out from clients what hasn't worked, as it is to find out what has worked for them," he adds.

How enthusiastic are you about Web site co-registration lists?

"I love co-registration lists because the names and addresses on them are from people who really like to hear from a company," Hare says.

He prefers using co-registration files generated through online product registrations and simple one-page surveys, which he believes provide the most reliable co-registration data.

Any age and income selects from co-registration files should be viewed with skepticism though, Hare says, because the "two biggest lies" people tell online concern their age and income.

With co-registration lists it's very important to find out if one list owner has exclusive rights to the data or if the data being generated has multiple owners who can resell it too.

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