Strategy Why You Should Rent Your Customer List (1,130 words)

This month, I will discuss the benefits of renting a company's number-one asset: your valuable customer list.

According to a leading list-management company, approximately 10 percent (or less) of all consumer catalog companies and an estimated 25 percent of all business-to-business catalogers do not rent or exchange names with any outside company. Conversely, some companies will exchange names only with others whose list they wish to use. These companies make up about half of all consumer catalog companies that do not rent or exchange names. It used to be that a cataloger would have difficulty obtaining lists if it were not willing to rent its own file. This mindset has changed since companies are hungrier for list rental income to help their bottom line. But, there is no question that not renting or exchanging names can and does impact lists made available to you for prospecting.