I had lunch with a fellow marketer for the first time the other day.  As we discussed, he shared that one of his passions is dissecting language and looking at roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc.   We started talking about a few words in the context of business and marketing, one of which was list.

My new friend suggested that list and listen were from the same root word, meaning “group.”  So to list is to group.  And to listen is to “group in”, or be a part of the group.  You can extend the logic to say that the value of your marketing list is not in how big it is, but in how many people are listening.  Conversely, it might be suggested that the rate at which you grow you list, and the degree to which your list listens to you,  is related to the degree to which you listen to your list members and prospective members.

Unfortunately, from a literal standpoint, this etymology dictionary put the kibosh on our musings.  The two words are not from the same origin, and neither of the original meanings is about grouping.  Sometimes I’d rather not know the truth.  However, from a philosophical standpoint, it was still worthwhile.

If you are having trouble with email list building, or having engaging with your list and creating monetary rewards for your company, maybe be think about what listening would do for you.   If you want some help, we’re here for you.

Do you have an experience where listening changed the way your list responded to your appeals?  We love your comments!