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introduction
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habit 2 | habit 3 | habit
4 | habit 5 | habit
6 | habit 7 | conclusion
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Brokers get paid to rent names, period. If you rent enough names, they might even help you "sketch out" a mailing plan.
 But ask your broker, "Based on my actual cost structure and house file response, how much can I afford to spend to add a new customer to my list? Should I use more space advertising and less list rental to grow my business? Given my financial goals, should I mail more rental names or add another mailing to my house file next year?" Brokers are simply not in the business of helping you answer these and other non-list rental related marketing questions.
We don't want to sound like we are knocking brokers; they provide a valuable service to any mailer that uses outside lists for prospecting. The problem we do have is broker-developed circulation plans have a built-in bias toward mailing more rental names. In some cases, mailing more names may be just what is called for to take the business to the next level. But often, this approach will not yield the desired outcome over the long run.
Ask yourself where you want your business to be in five years. Will your broker's plan get you there? Maybe, maybe not. There is so much more to catalog marketing than renting lists. Look at all relevant growth strategies - page count, mailing frequency, house file segmentation, creative execution and positioning. Get a second opinion. Seek impartial advice on the best use of your marketing dollars. Most smaller catalogers can't afford to rely on "free advice", it's just too expensive in the long run.
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