We have had clients that vary from catalogs to agencies, publishers to casinos, approach us to fill analyst positions. The salary for these positions ranges from $50,000 to 90,000. And the experience required is generally just three to seven years. Yet these searches present us with the greatest difficulty.

These are nice opportunities. After a few years, analyst typically progresses to a database manager, and upwards to management positions like database director or vice president in the next 10 years.

Some openings are more challenging because they require a specialized skill set, like SAS or Unica experience. But others simply require attention to detail and a love for the numbers and the story they reveal.

One client was so hard pressed to bring an analyst on board that he offered to pay all relocation expenses. And if the person was unhappy after a year, he would pay to relocate him or her back home. We still didn't find a taker who was interested and qualified.

Direct marketing is an analytically driven discipline. How can we make our decisions based on the numbers when there is a dearth of talent to provide the analysis? Measuring results is at the heart of DM.

Direct marketers must do their best to offer analytics training to their bright up and comers. Alternatively, there are classes at the Direct Marketing Association, and at universities both on and offline that teach SAS, P&L analysis, and how to use marketing results to draw conclusions and make recommendations.

The career path for an analyst is a bright one. Let's see if we can get more direct marketers onto it.

 

Wendy Weber is president of Crandall Associates Inc., a national executive recruitment firm specializing in all facets of direct marketing. She also sits on the boards of both FIT’s Direct Marketing Advisory Board and the Direct Marketing Association of Long Island as well as being a frequent contributor to the direct marketing trade press. She can be reached at 516/767-6800 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .