Poor quality data can be a real problem. People change positions and jobs regularly, and salespeople frequently complain that they can’t reach prospects because their contact details are no longer valid. Add to this the problems created by duplicate copies and irrelevant data, and it becomes clear why so many businesses struggle with poor quality data. Instead of serving as income-generating assets, many databases only frustrate the efforts of the marketing and sales teams which use them.
To resolve this issue, businesses have to update their data regularly. The question then is whether to cleanse or buy data. Here we provide some guidance on when to do which.
Cleanse your data when it only needs to be updated.
Your first option is to cleanse your existing database. This usually involves updating your old and inaccurate information, deleting any duplicates, and filling in any gaps. Just make sure that your data provider is properly vetted. A quality data service will match the data with live, up-to-date databases and use DNS email verification. And the best will verify the accuracy of data by telephone.
Before you commit to a data cleanse, you should outline your marketing and sales goals to determine what kind of data you need as well as which industries you need data for. Data cleansing can be applied to your whole database or just a portion, and you might want to cleanse only those parts of your database which need it. Get both your marketing and sales teams onboard as they are in the best position to tell you want kind of data you need.
Buy data when your current database isn’t enough.
Maybe your existing database doesn’t contain the data fields needed to make it useful. In this case it’s better to buy data. You could buy a cheaper generic database, but the spray-and-pray approach dictated by such databases costs their users in the long run. They cost more to maintain and frequently result in calls to people who just don’t want to hear your pitch. Can you afford to risk damaging your brand image by sending irrelevant messages? No? Well, a bespoke database is always a better investment.
A highly targeted database helps you reach the people most likely to become valuable customers. The extra data fields allow for more accurate segmentation of your audiences and allows for messages of greater relevancy. As the surest way to higher engagement rates, such a solution is the best way to improve your bottom line.
Choose a reliable data provider.
Regardless of whether you have decided to buy data or just cleanse what you have, you need to pick your data provider carefully. As a data and telemarketing company with 25 years’ experience in the industry, we understand how important quality data is to effective marketing. We choose our data partners for coverage and integrity, and work with them closely to ensure that our clients get the best data and lowest price.
By partnering only with credible providers, we are also able to ensure that our data is completely compliant with international data laws and is 100% safe. And by using our 50-seat call center to tele-verify all data every six to twelve months, we can ensure data stays fresh and up-to-date. If you need to buy data and would like to know how GCL’s data building services can improve your ROI, visit our data building page for more information.
Image credit: signal-noise.co.uk
