The Money Isn’t In The List

It’s an old marketing saying and an old marketing lie. It was never in the list:

• A list is just a tool. Be it your own email list or LinkedIn’s entire user database, lists are just tools. If having access to these lists were money to you, LinkedIn wouldn’t be offering free membership, would they?
• A relationship is invaluable. It goes beyond money, often refusing transactions through a commitment to extend only the right options to those in your care. They can be email, LinkedIn, anywhere. Doesn’t matter.

That level of care often translates into higher orders of purchase, thanks to the trust that comes with them. “The value is in the relationship” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “The money is in the list”, though. Shame.