You don't always have to wait for a marketing disaster to indicate that your contact database needs cleaning up. Unfortunately, that's usually how a lot of B2B companies find out. Meanwhile, they've wasted a considerable amount of time and resources (probably even more on PR and damage control).
Wouldn't it be better to the see signs and start making small moves and small preparations instead?
So what are these signs? Well the good news is, they're not necessarily doomsday prophecies (at least, if you're not prone to pessimism). It's just a matter of seeing the obvious and using common sense. In the following list, you will see obvious indicators that could affect businesses and therefore, affect the quality of your contact database:
- Global events - People blame the economy for both good and bad business. And why should you blame them? Only people with excess idealism are closed to the notion that the global economy won't have an effect on market behavior. And because of that, contact databases with information on foreign businesses should start seeing the quality of these lists in light of such events. Different industries also have varying levels of strength depending on different countries.
- Local events - By local, it doesn't necessarily mean just your country. Again, if you have foreign contacts, the state of their nation could affect the value of their place on your database. To use an extreme example, suppose that country is in a state of turmoil. You don't seriously want to run a telemarketing campaign (or even an email marketing campaign) targeting it now would you? Politics could also indicate a a change. A country with an upcoming election could bring up certain issues regarding the economy, thus making businesses more price-sensitive and wary.
- Industry changes - Innovations in certain industries can either spark new demands or diminish preexisting ones. Either way, you need to know and you might need to reevaluate the possible interest you will attract from the businesses in your database while using these changes as reference.
If this is starting to sound complicated, don't worry. The good thing about these signs is that they don't just affect your business or the businesses of your contacts. They affect everyone. The key is to stay informed and to act prudently based on the information. Here are two simple steps you can try:
- News and current events - Tuning in to the local news or subscribing to a few sources can be all you need. Just make sure that the sources and subjects are related to your business. Also, make sure that these sources are sufficiently reputable. Social media can also be another outlet as news stories tend to be shared on online networks.
- Small surveys - Based on what you know, conduct a few surveys to test the market yourself before targeting it for sales leads. You don't have to react to every news story and do it constantly but you shouldn't neglect to try it on occasion, especially when the impact of an event has been implied to be considerably large.
Again, don't wait for a disaster to show you that your database is need of cleaning. The signs could just be right out there, being told to the world, through numerous channels. You just need to pay attention.