Rent Smarter, Not Harder

"Chances are, if they're renting it multiple times that means it's working for them," he says.

When you find a list you'd like to rent, have analyzed it and have a high confidence level in it, in order to minimize your risk, you should test it, Baker says. But test it by mailing to the minimum number of people possible -- no less than 7,000 and no more than 10,000 names. These test mailings should not be done with test packages, Baker adds. Send the control mailing to the new lists so you can determine the quality of the list. And send test packages to tried-and-true lists so you get a clear vision of that package's strengths with your donor base. Sending test packages to new lists will leave you wondering what worked -- the test package or the new list.