Put yourself in the shoes of your typical customer or client, and ask how much VAM I would want to see before the sell email. You could even survey your list and ask them directly. Never underestimate the value of a survey or how many people on your list would actual answer if asked. List brokers are valuable tools to utilize, especially if you are a small business owner or marketing representative. A list broker is a professional who acts as an agent for individuals or business that want to employ direct marketing as a way to reach prospective email list customers. A list broker has the resources to gather together a list of prospective clients including their names and contact info. Depending on the type of list you require for your business, lists can include other factors and characteristics such as gender, age, etc. As a client, you'll be given a variety of options and lists to consider utilizing with your various direct marketing campaigns. Direct marketing involves portraying messages directly to prospective consumers without using overruling media. This type of marketing focuses on portraying a particular call to action. For example, if you owned a shoe store, your call to action could be suggesting customers to buy a certain brand of shoe.