| The CRM Database is one of the most valuable | | | | ensure a value for every field at the time when a |
| assets for any organization and well maintained | | | | record is generated. For example if your contact |
| CRM or marketing data can be invaluable. | | | | source is a conference list of attendees with only |
| However CRM data is a perishable asset and does | | | | contact names, job titles and phone numbers, |
| need constant attention, periodic cleansing and a | | | | although it's been added to your CRM, it has very |
| lot of effort in its upkeep which is probably why | | | | little value if it needs to be used in an email |
| so many organizations let their CRM data quality | | | | campaign or a direct mail reach out. Appending |
| slide till eventually, they can't utilize the full | | | | missing data is not always easy to automate and |
| potential of their data. Here are a few tips which | | | | often does involve a lot of manual effort which |
| will help you keep your CRM data in shape : | | | | will seem time consuming.However it is a |
| Identify A drop In Data Quality Quickly | | | | necessary evil and a periodic data append effort |
| Bad data is often ignored until it really starts to | | | | for missing data is important. |
| affect daily work, by which time it needs a lot of | | | | Check For Duplication & Redundant Data |
| work to get it back in shape. It's important to | | | | Duplication of records and having large amounts |
| identify whose responsibility it is to monitor the | | | | of junk data is a sign of a sick CRM database. |
| data quality and keep up the maintenance process | | | | While putting in software checks for validating |
| on an ongoing basis. Whether it's a weekly scan | | | | records and ensuring an entry is unique is a |
| of records to see if outwardly everything looks | | | | preventive measure that's good to have in place. |
| alright, a periodic email or contact sample check, | | | | There are a number of software or technology |
| keeping an eye on your data will help you identify | | | | based de-duplication services which can help weed |
| changes in quality sooner rather than later. | | | | out duplicates which you can evaluate. With a |
| Sometimes your sales persons or marketing | | | | growing number of leads coming through sources |
| department who frequently use the data to call, | | | | like form fills and online sources where leads can |
| email prospects or customers using the data will | | | | often fill up gibberish values, doing regular scans |
| be the first ones to experience any change in | | | | for such junk records will help you keep your |
| quality. Keeping a regular and close feedback loop | | | | data free of what should not be in there. It's |
| will help you know how up-to-date your data is or | | | | important to note that having a lot of duplicates |
| what issues they face while using it. | | | | and other redundant data can result in your |
| Have An Organizational Policy On Data Standards | | | | analytics and reports reflecting false results so it |
| Bad data in. Bad data out. While CRM | | | | has to be kept in check. |
| administrators and managers can be finicky about | | | | Periodically Filter Out Expired Data |
| ensuring any data they upload into their CRM is | | | | Companies and organizations merge, get acquired |
| checked and entered exactly how it should be, | | | | or shut down. Contacts change addresses, change |
| most CRMs are accessed by several end users | | | | jobs, move within an organization. The bottom line: |
| across the organization. There is very little control | | | | CRM data does expire. This is an area which is |
| over what data is entered, edited and how that | | | | not easily automated and again does require a |
| data is entered or updated. This is where it can all | | | | considerable investment of time and energy. The |
| start going wrong. Educating the end users or the | | | | more regularly you can carry out a check for |
| company's data standards and making them | | | | expired data, the healthier your CRM will be. A |
| aware of healthy data updating practices can help | | | | database which remains untouched or unchecked |
| standardize what goes into the CRM. For example | | | | for an entire year can see as much as 30% |
| if one user enters contact names in the form of | | | | expired data and the longer you have between |
| initials with currency values in dollars and another | | | | checks, the worse it can get so making sure its |
| enters them as full names with currency values in | | | | checked periodically is paramount. While being able |
| increments of a thousand dollars there is bound to | | | | to run through the entire data once every quarter |
| be data which is not standardized. Coming up with | | | | is ideal, twice a year should be the minimum. |
| a well defined data standards policy which is made | | | | Enrich Your Data, Increase It's Value |
| available to all end users can help considerably. | | | | If data cleansing is what helps you maintain your |
| Implement Stringent Quality Checks At Your Data | | | | database quality then data enrichment is what will |
| Sources | | | | help you enhance your data quality and make it |
| CRM data usually comes from several sources | | | | more valuable to the end users. Ask yourself |
| such as conference lists, whitepaper downloads, | | | | what additional data points in each record could |
| website form fills, purchased business contact lists, | | | | help your users do more with the data and give |
| online ad clicks, business contacts databases and | | | | them a better insight on each account. Would it |
| more. Common practice is to upload them to the | | | | help to have the annual revenues listed in multiple |
| CRM straight away assuming it can be normalized | | | | currencies? Would it help to have a list of all |
| or filtered later. It's a good practice to manage, | | | | countries each account operates in? Would it help |
| normalize, format, qualify and filter out your leads | | | | to have a link to the press releases of each |
| outside your CRM and then have it uploaded so | | | | account to know updates on recent events? |
| that what is not valuable or quality data does not | | | | These additional data points can be added with a |
| get added to it. If you check and clean your data | | | | data enrichment effort after identifying what |
| right from the source, it will save you trouble | | | | additional data would help provide value. |
| later. | | | | If you can implement these 7 tips effectively into |
| Check For & Tackle Incomplete Records | | | | your day to day CRM data management routine |
| Despite most CRMs having validations to check | | | | you should see the quality of your data stay at a |
| for mandatory data fields its not always easy to | | | | certain level. Your CRM will yield better results. |