Associations and non-profits are a powerful resource for building and expanding networking and business opportunities, finding jobs, evaluating goods and services, and researching trends or publications.

The Directory of Associations is a comprehensive source of information on associations and professional societies including business and trade associations, 501c non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and other charity and community associations. >

Available on CD-ROM, in print, and on mailing labels -- or search online and download results using our powerful search interface.

For more information or to order, call 800-575-5369 or go to http://www.marketingsource.com/associations.

During the past 30 years I've bought or compiled thousands of mailing lists. Eventually I learned how to find lists that always produced highly profitable results. You'll discover how I do it in this article.

WHO SHOULD BE ON YOUR LIST?

Implementing any successful mailing program begins by determining who will get your mail. You need to find or compile a mailing list of qualified prospects for your offer. The success of your mailing is directly dependent on the accuracy of your mailing list in targeting prospects most likely to be interested in your product or service.

For example, an offer for information about a quick, easy way to lose weight will get a big response if it is sent to a "targeted" list of subscribers to a weight loss magazine or newsletter. But, you will get a very meager response if you send the same offer to the membership list of your local Chamber of Commerce. Your offer would not be relevant to most people on the Chamber of Commerce list and most of your mailing budget would be wasted. Remember, you must target prospects likely to be interested in your offer.

The lack of serious attention to selecting a mailing list can doom your mailing campaign to failure. Poor list choice often occurs because the decision seemed so obvious, it was done quickly and with little serious thought. I developed a simple procedure I always follow to be sure I select the best list for my offer. I use this procedure even when the list selection seems obvious. It usually enables me to create and implement a mailing with profitable results on the first try. Here's what I do...

A SIMPLE PROCEDURE

I begin my search for the best list by defining the person I want to reach. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, I list all of the characteristics I can expect qualified, interested prospects for my offer to have. If I'm working in an established market, I write down the names of some of my best customers in that market. Then I write down the characteristics they have that make my product or service valuable to them.

Once I develop this list of characteristics, I make a list of actions and activities these ideal target prospects pursue that might be recorded in some way. For example:

• What associations or clubs would they join? (Many association or club membership rosters are available to the general public. If not, you can get it from one of the members.)
• What licenses would they be required to have? (All licenses except driving licenses and auto registrations are public information you can get at your city, county or state licensing offices.)
• What publications are they likely to subscribe to? (Most publications rent their subscriber list to other mailers.)
• What products or services are they likely to buy? (Many companies are willing to share their customer list with other non-competing businesses who are willing to share a customer list in return.)

WHAT ABOUT LIST BROKERS?

Take time to think about ways you can find or compile the ideal list without getting it from a list broker. You'll not only save money, you'll also have a list your competitors will probably never find. By avoiding a list broker, you may also enjoy the advantage of a list that is not being used by other mailers. Heavily worked lists tend to be unresponsive, even when they are highly targeted. By finding or compiling your own list, you'll have a list that is not heavily used by other mailers and your potential for a high response is maximized. You'll also have a list you can re-use as often as you want without paying another rental fee. Most list brokers charge an additional fee each time you use their list.

If you decide to get your list through a list broker, the simple procedure I described above will enable you to tell the broker exactly what you want.

Unless you already work with a trusted list broker who has proven his or her list selection skill to you in the past, call several brokers with your requirements and have each of them give you their recommendations. Then, be careful not to make your final decision based solely on the cost of a list. Whenever I thought the cost of a list was expensive, it nearly always produced a profitable high rate of response. Lists I thought were bargains nearly always produced an unprofitable low rate of response. I've learned that the cost of a list is not important when it contains people who have the exact qualifications I need.

Finding the right mailing list is not difficult when you follow this system. It enables you to quickly maximize profits from your mail while avoiding expensive, time consuming trial and error tests.

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Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards" and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information... Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards". Phone: (702) 658-1707 (After 10 AM Pacific time) Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box 33628, Las Vegas, NV 89133

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If you're looking for low-cost ways to promote your business (and aren't we all?), I hope you've considered publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine." Here are six darn good reasons why you shouldn't wait any longer:

1. An e-zine is the perfect way to STAY IN TOUCH with your clients and prospects on a regular basis.

Unless you continually follow up with clients and prospects, they'll soon forget about you. But imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! That would be nearly impossible to pull off.

Well, an e-zine achieves the same goal - keeping you on their "radar screens," but in an unobtrusive way. This constant contact makes these folks more likely to think of YOU - not someone they heard about yesterday - when they need to hire a coach.

2. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business.

If you write a decent e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that old shampoo commercial that went, "And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on..."? That principle - clients passing on the word about your product or service - is called "viral marketing" these days.

Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers who are their clients and associates. But after several months, you can have thousands of readers on your list - thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.

3. An e-zine is a CREDIBLE and SUBTLE way to promote your services or products.

Instead of simply *saying* how great your business is, an e-zine lets you *show* how great you are by sharing your expertise through tips or client stories. (As my old journalism professor used to say, "Show me, don't just tell me!") You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge. Bravo!

4. Publishing an e-zine positions you as an EXPERT in your field.

By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more and better clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying, "Hey, I know my stuff! I'm an expert." If you make a living by providing a service, you're an expert in your own right. If you're still uncomfortable with that term, try on the word "resource." (Okay, feel better?)

5. An e-zine is the ideal way to CAPTURE the e-mail addresses of your WEB VISITORS.

If I visit your site today but aren't ready to buy from you today, you've likely lost me forever when I click away. BUT if you invite me to sign up for your free newsletter that features helpful information on the topic at hand, I'll be happy to sign up.

NOW you've got me to market to, over and over, as long as you continue to give me the practical content you promised. This is especially powerful because statistics show that consumers don't usually purchase a product or service until after they've seen multiple messages about it.

6. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish - especially compared with a print newsletter.

If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking *printed* newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But an e-zine is essentially FREE to put together and publish - it just takes a bit of your time.

And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of the best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue and are less than one computer screen long.) For best results, keep it simple!

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Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her step-by-step guide and to sign up for FREE biweekly how-to articles, visit http://www.ezinequeen.com/