Ahhh the list. You’ve heard about creating a list, and you may have even heard that heartless phrase “the money is in the list.”

Sure, you’re business exists partly to support you via steady income. But - money is not THE be all end all of your business - or your list for that matter.

Your business exists to provide value to those that you serve through your business. It’s important to create and stay connected to the people that resonate with you.

And this is where your list comes in. Last week, we talked about making a connection.  It’s important to make a connection with those that you want to serve - and for those people to feel connected to you.

Your list can serve this function.

What I mean by a “list” is having a way for you to stay in touch with people who resonate with your business message. This can be done via newsletter, blog, podcast, discussion forum - there are a number of ways. People exchange their name and e-mail address (or sometimes physical address) for the value that you provide through those vehicles.

For example, you may be subscribed to this blog. If you resonate with what I have to say, and you want to hear more, you may stay in touch by subscribing. I am also offering a brand new newsletter starting next Monday. It’s called the Mindful Marketing Moment. That would be another way we might stay in touch and build a relationship.

I blog, and I produce the Mindful Marketing Moment because I enjoy it, and because it provides value. I’m also able to build communities and relationships through these two vehicles.

From a business perspective, it’s easier for me to talk about the products and services I offer through those two vehicles (through those two lists) because you all already know me. We have a rapport. I feel more comfortable talking to you about my offerings because I know what you’re interested in as a business owner, and you already know a bit about me and the way I work.

So, rather than standing on a sidewalk wearing a sandwich board trying to push my message out on the world, I provide value, have a way to build a relationship and then the offerings don’t seem so intrusive.

This is why having a list is so important to your business. It allows you to build on the connections you make, develop strong relationships - and then the sales happen organically.

You get to know your niche, and what they want from you - you in turn provide the value they are seeking. It’s a prosperous, abundant relationship all around!

And speaking of offerings *ahem*

I am offering a brand new teleclass! It’s called the Mindful Marketing Teleclass Series. Check out this page for details.

So, have you ever thought about building a list in your business? Are you currently building a list and just don’t know how to leverage it?

What have you found to be the most effective strategy when building your list?

This entry was posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.