If you have a database of customers, you can probably use it to increase your sales. All it takes is a little planning and a little cleaning up.
“The Cavs took the right approach,” says Gary Seitz, executive vice president of Strongsville-based C.TRAC information solutions. “They started with their existing database and started doing some hygiene on it. Everyone has a database of names and addresses, but you have to clean it up first to meet postal standards. You have to identify who has moved and where everyone is located so you can reach them with your message the first time. Once you have a clean database and have eliminated duplicates, you can start doing profiles.”
Information from multiple sources is combined to give you a more complete picture of each customer. With that in hand, you can figure out what type of person or customer is most likely to buy your product or service.
“It gives you a better handle on who your customers are and allows you to niche market to specific groups,” says Seitz.
By using the right information collection techniques and some database management, you can create a profile based on just about anything: Industry, SIC code, sales size or number of employees. Take the profile of your best customers and target similar companies with your marketing efforts to maximize sales.
