Most organisations understand and appreciate the need to get data working for their business. They appreciate the value of CRM; the value of accurate, targeted and repeatable marketing; the value of getting the right data to sales people; and the value of meaningful and accurate business insight.
However, we see many organisations carried away by the glitz and gloss on the latest technology and encouraged to invest heavily in the newest tools and solutions available to them.
Yet the truth is that most of these technology solutions ignore the one thing that makes CRM and customer management possible – the data. In the rush to build the new solutions, the same organisations often ignore the need to ensure the data they will rely on is clean, up-to-date and can be reliably sourced and managed.
As well as choosing the right technology for your business and the way you work, do allow the time and budget (usually minimal compared with the technology!) to get your data cleaned, enhanced and fully compliant with the data protection rules and best practise in your own region.
It’s not common to build in the software tools to do this yourself – and you probably haven’t got the specialist expertise in house to exploit it anyway – so find a good supplier of these data services. Some, like us, offer ‘global’ capability but whoever you choose do make sure your data is clean, accurate and fit for purpose.
It may be less exciting than choosing the technology, but it will help the return on your investment you receive from your marketing efforts – and isn’t that what you set out to do orignally?
