Building your subscriber list can seem like a daunting task and it never seems to grow fast enough. Many coaches try to find short cuts and ways to get a few subscribers under their belt right off the bat to give them momentum. What they don't know is that by cutting corners, they end up paying more for dead leads and sometimes even drive potential prospects away.

Are you committing any of these list building follies?

• You turn off your double opt in option and add everyone you know to your list.

• You send an announcement email to your current customers or friends letting them know that you've added them to your newsletter and that they can opt out if they want to.

• You collect business cards from people you meet, and add them to your list so that they can learn more about what you do.

• You surf around the internet and find groups where your target market hang out, and add their email addresses to your list because you know they need what you have to offer.

While all of these things may seem like a super easy and fast way to build your list, they can completely sabotage your efforts, and annoy your potential prospects.

Here are some reasons why you shouldn't cut corners when building your list, and why double opt in is the way to go!

You pay for numbers

With most list management services your fee is based on the number of subscribers that you have. So for you, it's better to have 100 people that have signed up and have interest in what you have to say, than 1000 people that don't remember who you are and so don't open up your emails.

You get more quality leads

By using a double opt in system your end up with more quality leads because the person has to open your email in order to confirm their subscription. So they are already expecting to hear from you, and show that they are interested because they click on your link.

It's easier to switch providers

There always comes a time in a coaches career where they decide to go with a different list management service, and then they hesitate because they don't want to lose their list by making them have to opt in again. When you have a list that has double opted in, most services have ways to transfer your list seamlessly without your subscribers even knowing or having to re-opt in.

Those are three great reasons why double opt in will serve you better in the long run. If you are concerned or are hearing that people aren't realizing that they have to confirm their subscription then that may be the way your confirmation email is structured. Make sure you write something like "Action Required" in the subject line, and make sure that the email is very clear that they need to click the link in order to continue to get communication from you.

Your list can be one of your most valuable assets for selling your coaching products, creating joint venture partnerships, and building a lasting relationship with your prospects. Don't muss it up by committing one of these list building follies. Take your time and do it the right way, it will serve you better in the long run.