Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Every business opportunity assumes that you have Lists.
Lists are the names and addresses of people you can send your promotional material to and who will hopefully buy from you.
A great idea. But where do you get your lists?
The very best ones are those you've collected for yourself from classified advertising or people who have bought from you before.
These lists will start out very small - but that doesn't mean you can't market your products to them.
Or you can buy lists from list brokers.
This can be expensive but you can find a targeted market. Look at what you must consider if you take this route.
First of all, the list must be of people who have shown an interest in your product.
Secondly, the list should NEVER be more than a year old -preferably three months is the right length.
Thirdly, it should have been scanned for different names - same address, and have been checked for names that have opted out of mailings recently.
Fourthly, most brokers have a minimum number of names you can order and add sometimes a quite heavy financial loading on lists which are below that number.
There are other considerations but that's enough to start with.
Find the answers to all these questions from several brokers before you make your choice.
Don't feel awkward about this because you're a beginner. The brokers have to take care of you because you might end up as a big, successful customer. They need you as much or more than you need them!
Happy listing.
Theodora

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