| Right, People. Let’s blast out that mail | | | | name incorrectly. |
| campaign we’ve been planning for so | | | | Also confirm the kind of corporation e.g. LLC, |
| long. | | | | Inc, PTY Ltd. and so on. |
| It’s time to put your trusty CRM software | | | | Make rules for creating new profiles or User |
| to work; to let it earn its keep. You run a search | | | | Definable Fields (UDF) (or whatever your specific |
| of people and companies you want to target. | | | | CRM software calls them.) Place a lot of emphasis |
| You soon realize something’s wrong when | | | | on this. Every time a new UDF is needed, it should |
| your list is far smaller than anticipated. A quick | | | | first be approved. Otherwise duplicates will |
| check reveals many profiles/categories have not | | | | permeate your database e.g. Lead Source: Yellow |
| been filled in, impacting your search results. | | | | Pages, YP, yelo pages. |
| Further inspection shows numerous records are | | | | Ensure that email addresses are put in |
| incorrect; others are riddled with typos. And | | | | correctly. Basic but common mistake! |
| that’s just for starters. | | | | Set up procedures, if not supported by your |
| With a sinking feeling, you realize that last push | | | | software, of how to create records from inbound |
| isn’t going to happen in a hurry. | | | | emails. |
| Time for some Damage Control or Preventative | | | | If applicable, are you going to use Mandatory |
| Maintenance. | | | | Forced fields? |
| Fortunately one of the most common reasons | | | | You might as well address the issue of Backups |
| cited for the high failure rate of CRM systems - | | | | while you are about it. |
| poor data quality - is also one of the easiest to | | | | Who is the responsible person for backing up |
| avoid. | | | | your databases/s? Who covers for them when |
| Your CRM software is only as good as the | | | | they are absent or unavailable? |
| information it contains. As the old programmers | | | | How frequently are backups to be done? |
| motto goes garbage in, garbage out’. | | | | Diarise! |
| So how can you avoid incomplete, incorrect, | | | | How are backups done e.g. by the |
| irrelevant or out-of-date and generally | | | | Grandfather, Father, Son method. |
| unfit-for-use data from permeating your CRM | | | | Ensure backups are made on good quality |
| software? | | | | CD’s or whatever format you are using. |
| You need to gather your key CRM users | | | | It’s no good doing a backup, then finding |
| together and thrash out a DATA CAPTURE | | | | on attempting a Restore that it doesn’t |
| PROCEDURE document, defining the rules of use. | | | | work! It is also a good idea to copy backups onto |
| Spell out: | | | | more than one data format. |
| Who has what rights to the system; who can | | | | Where are the backups to be stored? |
| Create, Insert, Modify or Delete records, | | | | Are the backups secure? This is important for |
| assuming your software supports all these | | | | both security and practical reasons. |
| functions? Forward this information to your | | | | Once your Data Capture Procedure Document is |
| system administrator to action. | | | | finished, get everyone to sign it off as READ! |
| Decide on a procedure to check for any | | | | As standard practice, ensure that document is |
| duplicates before creating a record. Depending on | | | | handed to all new employees at your company. |
| what de-duping’ or data | | | | Refer back to this document for possible revision |
| scrubbing’ features your system has, this | | | | every three months or so. |
| might require some simple searches before | | | | Try this: select a couple of records - both good |
| starting a new record. | | | | and bad - every week, to put on the overhead at |
| Do you allow abbreviations or acronyms? For | | | | staff meetings. Make sure you don’t |
| example: IBM, or I.B.M, or International Business | | | | unduly embarrass anybody but watch this |
| Machines Inc. or Incorporated and so on. A policy | | | | become the light-relief highlight of your meetings! |
| on ensuring consistency of input will help to avoid | | | | People learn best when having fun! |
| duplications in future. | | | | What if your database is in one unholy mess? |
| Are records going to be created in Upper and | | | | Has the rot set in so deeply that your database |
| Lower case and when are CAPS acceptable? | | | | needs a complete overhaul? Turn this seemingly |
| By when do you expect records, notes and | | | | insurmountable task into an opportunity to you. |
| so on to be created or updated? Same day, on | | | | This is an excellent excuse to re-establish contact |
| return to the office? | | | | with your clients and let them know you care. |
| Check to see whether your Postal Services | | | | You can always put lapses down to data crashes |
| have specific requirements. Ensure your data | | | | but tell them you have fixed the problem! |
| meets these criteria. | | | | Importantly, help your staff understand what you |
| Is the primary address of clients to be | | | | need from the data to facilitate more accurate |
| created as a postal or a physical address? | | | | marketing and reporting and hence the success of |
| Make sure everyone checks spellings if they | | | | your business and their careers. |
| are unsure and do not trust spellchecker! When in | | | | By creating a sense of pride and ownership in the |
| doubt, ask the client — they’ll | | | | company database, you are nurturing the |
| respect that. Is it Clark with an e’; | | | | essential process of buy-in, necessary for the |
| Shawn, Sean or Shaun? One certain way to get | | | | success of your CRM initiative. |
| your mail binned is to spell someone’s | | | | |