Selecting a List, Testing It Twice …

No. 2: Think outside the trapezoid
Don't stop after you identify the traditional lists that are on the market. Ask your broker (you know, your new best friend) to research lists that are not on the market, and approach the development departments with an exchange proposal (if you are willing and able to exchange your list). You will hear a lot of responses like, "No, we don't make our list available for rental or exchange," but you will possibly uncover a few that say, "Wow! I never thought of it before, but we would be interested in exchanging." A direct exchange can be your greatest resource for finding new donors because the list hasn't been overmailed by other mailers. Or, if you can rent a list that no one else has mailed, it can be an unmined treasure.