Playing by the Rules

3. Find out how the list was built. Is it opt-in, opt-out or double opt-in?

4. Join the list to see what it’s like. What is the volume of mail? What kind of messages do you get? What are they saying to consumers? How easy is it to opt-out?

5. Find out who has used the list successfully—not just who has tested it. Most successful e-mail marketers today are using e-mail to communicate with existing customers, not prospects, says Keith Wardell, founder and president of Shop2U.com. In other words, they are relying on the prior business relationship model to make e-mail pay.