Dusty Database, Part: 2

Still haven't blown the dust off your database?

Hurry up! Get to it! You should be ready at any moment to pull up your lapse clients and tell them of your new special offer, or print out mailing labels to send your company event flyers. What? You don't even have a database system established?

A contact management system of some sort should be implemented as early as possible. What's the best contact management software that's out on the market?

Simple... "The one that's being used habitually." There are a few key words in this statement:
▪One- You should only be using one vehicle for collecting your contact information. It should be easy to use and versatile.
▪Used- Everyone sees the value of having a database, but few actually use it. So... Blow the dust off of it and use it.
▪Habitually- The use of your contact management system has to become habitual. If you can't habitually maintain it, or you don't have the patience to do so, then habitually remind another staff person to do it. If you're running solo, then SORRY you have no choice.

Still want to know what kind of specific software you should use? You'll have to check out our software evaluation in a later blog entry!

Don't waste your money...

It is amazing how many small businesses waste their money on all sorts of advertising schemes and call it marketing. Take this bird feeder retail business for example. They have advertisements in a local newspaper, Val Pak, Money Mailer, local magazines, and a couple of yard signs. When asked about their marketing, this was the owners response, "I am done with marketing...none of it works." There's so many things wrong about this statement... First, advertising and marketing are two separate things. Second, if you are done with marketing, you are DONE...period!
Most business who rely on these forms of advertizing often forget that they are shotgun in nature. They may produce a few responses, but they don't know who is looking at it, how people are responding to it at first glance, and they can't follow up in order to increase response. If this is ALL you're doing in terms of "marketing," then rethink how you're spending your money.