Clean, accurate, reliable contact data empowers effective lead generation campaigns. Unfortunately, many organizations rely on databases or customer relationship management (CRM) applications with corrupted, obsolete, or incomplete contact data.
Here’s how to pursue a smart database cleanup effort that puts you in control of your contact data.
Begin with an audit.
Identify every source that feeds information into your database. After nixing the sources you no longer need, determine whether you should utilize new sources that might provide you with a new list of valuable contacts.
For example, an obsolete contact form might not be a viable data source anymore, but maybe you’re using gated content opt-ins that aren’t connected to the CRM application. Audit these sources and maintain the ones that make sense today.
Standardize your data.
Do different sources feed different data into your database? Inconsistent field entries can make it difficult to use your database effectively.
Establish which data fields you need – and which ones you don’t – and update all of your entries to reflect the standard. This step lends consistency to future database maintenance.
Merge duplicate contacts.
Maintaining duplicates is problematic because different people can update different profiles of the same contact! Thankfully, most CRM applications can merge duplicates automatically. If your database doesn’t have that option, you will have to manually copy relevant information in order to merge contacts.
Manually verify contact details.
If you’re not confident that your database contains accurate names, phone numbers, or email addresses for key contacts at different organizations, you might need to manually verify those details and update contacts’ profiles. At the very least you will want to be certain that the information for those high value targets is correct.
Over a long period of time, anything can change. Leads move on to new positions at different companies. Decision makers get promoted, or transition to new departments or retire. Ideally, your database will reflect these changes, but you can’t anticipate every possible scenario. That’s why cleaning up your database is so important to the overall sales effort.
One of the best ways to manually verify contact information is to actively reach out to everyone whose contact details aren’t up to date. Call on the people in your database, ask them questions, and update their profiles accordingly.
You might even generate some new leads along the way!
Keep your database up to date.
Aside from following the steps above, the best way to maintain the integrity of your database is to establish protocol for updating contacts’ information. Demand that everyone updates database information after corresponding with a contact. Be sure they’re filling out the same fields, completing the required fields, and that every source feeding the database does the same.
Cleaning up your database may sound like a daunting task – that’s because it is! If it’s time to get your database in order, Intelemark can help. We’ll put our rigorous database cleanup process into action and make your customer information useful, usable, and valuable.
Contact us today to take back control of your contact data!