Direct Mail Consultants

Rose Napeek:
We're in the process of hiring an outside direct mail consultant. They want access to the database to do some analysis. I'm very hesitant in doing this. has anyone allowed outside consultant access to their database? I was thinking that giving them reports should suffice.

They want to log into RE directly?  We work with a direct mail consultant and they do not have access directly to RE.  We send them a data file twice a month using Export and they use that for mailings and analysis. 

Do you have details of exactly what they want to do, other than "some analysis"?  Even if they know RE they probably don't know 'your' RE so not sure how helpful their analysis would be without your assistance anyway.  If they do have details then you could just do the "analysis" for them, or export only the information they need. 

Also, have you hired/signed a contract with the consultant, or not yet as you mention you are "in the process or hiring"?  If you haven't hired them yet and do not have a contract then I wouldn't give them anything other than summary reports, no details, and definitely no access to RE.  There's plenty that needs to be included in a contract, including a confidentiality clause.