Database marketing magic

How does your database compare to these real-life examples?

One of the advantages of being a speaker is that you get to see how many different companies, large and small, as well as associations and government departments market to their 'customers'.

Here are three real life examples. Which would you want to emulate your marketing on?

From scratch every time

A three-city speaking engagement for a government department. This was the third year the event was conducted. Yet when I asked the organisers about their marketing of the event, they had not kept a record of those attending in previous years. Event marketing had to be done from scratch.

Very expensive

A national speaking engagement. Eleven cities for a telephone company. It’s their 2nd (out of three) road shows this year, a triannual event that's been running for four years.

All the invites were done by post or by telephone. Why? Because their main corporate database doesn’t have a field for email addresses (and won't for another two years).

�60k earned, yet barely a penny spent

A small one woman business, with only one part time staff member. Two workshops (capacity 75 each, �400 per registration) are to be held in two different cities. The marketing of the workshops was done entirely by email. Both workshops sold out. Even though the email database is worldwide, no one outside of those two cities received a special email invite or even read about it in the monthly online newsletter that company sent.

Why?

Think of the missed opportunities of the first two examples. The wasted money. The minimal response received. It’s not planning and thinking ahead. Not thinking outside the square. It’s database disaster instead of database magic.

Make the magic happen in your business

�It hinges on your ability to collect, to store, and then to target and use your customer and prospect information.�

As the examples above show, success doesn’t hinge on size or resource. It hinges on your ability to collect, to store, and then to target and use your customer and prospect information. I would go as far as saying that a comprehensive marketing database is the most valuable asset of your business. With each incoming phone call; from your advertising; from each new each referral to each new person walking through your business door - get them to agree to join in your company's marketing programme. You’ll turn them into gold. You’ll increase sales and perceived customer service dramatically. Here’s why:

What next?

Debbie Mayo-Smith is an international motivational business speaker and author. She specialises in simple, easy and practical ways to improve your personal productivity and business profitability. You can visit her website at http://www.debbiespeaks.co.nz, or subscribe to her Business Tip Newsletter.