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SUMMARY: Renting a permission list for the first (or even third) time can be a bit confusing. What's normal for transmission fees? How speedy is the turnaround? Should you pay extra for brand endorsement? Should you rent more names than the minimum to run a test? etc., etc.
Here's a handy toolkit from MarketingSherpa to help you (also useful for training staff). Includes two sample contracts with key legalese noted, as well as a How to Read a Data Card PDF. |
We have been list brokers for 20+ years and I am appalled at the incompleteness and inaccuracies of most list data cards. The most significant piece of information one needs to decide whether to use a list is: EXACTLY WHAT DID THE PERSON DO IN ORDER TO BE ON THAT LIST. Actually the datacard in your example, is better than most, but - as you pointed out - no one can tell from that datacard exactly how each name got on the list, how much they spent (if anything) and how the response was generated. Unfortunately in the list industry, it is often impossible to get accurate information as to exactly how a name came to be on the list., because the list sales people often just don't know. I would say, that only about 15% of the list sources provide reliable and complete name source information...You have to know who you are dealing with, especially in email list rental. I have seen situations where the list purveyor inflates quantities actually sent on a test so you will re-order a large quantity based on the results of the test. For example, say you order 10,000 email names for a test blast. The list owner may actually send out 20,000 or 30,000 names (it doesn't cost him anything extra to do this) and when you get 2 to 3 times the response expected you have been set up to place a large order, which has no chance of matching the test results. Or, some list sources will send out better names on a test - the more recent responses, for example, but don't tell you this, so again the rollout doesn't match the test results. It's a little easier to assess postal mail lists because at least you can scan the list, and maybe get permission to phone a dozen names on the list to see if they are as represented by the list owner. What we recommend is to talk to the list sources and ignore any where you can't get specific information on how the names got their. Then test the list. If it seems anywhere near working do another test at the same amount. Then if both test are showing promise you just might have a good list to keep working with. In the list industry its Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware.