Marketdata
analysts interviewed Ms. Adler. She says that
Selective Search has a staff of 8 people, every one
of which has executive search firm experience. She
could not estimate the number of matchmakers in the
U.S., but believes it is growing. She feels that
most are one-person operations and some may have
assistants working for them.
Ms. Adler feels
that one of the problems with the matchmaking
profession is the lack of standards and benchmarks.
That’s one reason why she is working with Kailen
Rosenberg to form a trade association. Most
matchmakers are in their 40’s and 50’s.
Company Summary, Operations
Ms. Adler stated
that Selective Search advertises in such women’s
magazines as: Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and
Marie Claire. The company advertises in magazines
more likely to be read by men such as: Time
Magazine, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. She
claims that some magazines will no longer accept ads
from dating services, due to problems with
non-payment of their bills.
Ms. Adler claimed
last year that Selective Search was on track to do
more than $1 million in revenues.
Ms. Adler brings
a 12-year career in Public Relations and Executive
Recruiting to Selective Search. It is what makes her
so distinctive in the personal matchmaking industry.
A longstanding contributor to Chicago’s public
relations community, she served as Vice president
and management member at Porter Novelli
International. That expertise led her to become Vice
President of a leading Chicago-based executive
search firm, Encore Group, specializing in senior
level executive placement.
Barbie is a
founding partner of the National Association of
Elite and Professional Matchmakers (NAEPM), the
country’s first organization to govern and promote
quality and standards in the dating industry.
She is a native
of Chicago. She is active in the New York, Miami,
DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, London, Montreal and
Toronto social scenes. Her company conducts searches
for clients locally, nationally and internationally.
Founded in 1991,
with headquarters in Chicago, Selective Search is
the only matchmaking firm that serves as a “personal
recruiter” to its clients. The firm exclusively
applies executive recruitment techniques to its
practice. In using the same vetting process as
Fortune 500 headhunters, they pre-screen, personally
interview and hand pick only the most appropriate
female matches for their clients.
Selective Search
clients are dynamic, highly successful men who are
interested in relationships with quality women who
meet their standards. Because the firm allows women
to participate for free, they have no barriers to
meeting qualified females for their exacting
clientele. Over 5,000 sophisticated, highly
desirable women make up the Selective Search
network.