Is This All There is to Properly Treating a List?

Precisely.

So when you act like a big corporate organisation, they're going to have the same expectations of you that they have of a big corporate organisation.

I suggest you take very close look at what those expectations are, and whether you can consistently meet them.

I'll preface this comment with a statement that I've been building and
marketing with email lists since 1996, and have been a keen student of
the subject through the entire period.

I'm reading "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely, and last night came across
an interesting passge relevant to this point.

It's the distinction between 'social' norms, and 'business' norms.

'Social' norms work on the principle of social interactions, where we, as a
collective, are inter-dependent and need others' help for some things - and
in turn help others. Doing such things is a 'labor of love', with no price
tag to the services. Indeed, placing a price on it, explictly or otherwise,
takes it into the sphere or 'business' norms.

'Business' norms are plainer 'value for money' transactions, where price paid
or asked for determines the nature of effort/quality put in. Ariely suggests
that when business tries to get touchy/feely through taking transactions
towards 'social' norms, and then is forced to crack down on defaulters or
otherwise move the transaction towards 'business' norms, the relationship
between client and business CRACKS UP!

Interesting concept. And might suggest there's more to successful list
management (from the perspective of a business owner) than merely 'building
relationships' through 'getting personal'.

For some, it's a fantastic strategy - as long as it can be carried through and
sustained, it can bond clients with fierce loyalty to the business.

For others, it could be disastrous - and there financial profitability may stem
from taking a more impersonal approach, which they can then sustain, keeping
the entire relationship within 'business' norms.

So obviously there's no "have to do this" or "have to do that", but more of
finding out what approach best fits your business and goals, one that you
can manage and sustain over the LONG term, and then apply it to your list
marketing efforts.

My 2 cents (with 1.4 of them credited to Ariely!)

All success
Dr.Mani

I think you're missing the point here. He mentioned the law of reciprocity, and by giving first. The whole key here is to get your list to know, like and trust you. You don't want to be a robot and send out canned messages that your list will probably ignore or delete - what's the point of having a list then??