A return to database marketing’s roots

Business database marketing was introduced in the mid 1980s. The reason for its rise to prominence was the computers and a lot of related software had become economical and highly sophisticated. It was easy to store prospect information and also use the data for database marketing. As a result, the results are able to increase sales and conversions by:

? Dictating buying behavior of customers
? Increasing repeat customers through cross selling and upgrades
? Creating customer loyalty and referrals

The main hurdle was that very few companies achieved one to one direct marketing. They used business models to put togehther preference groups, customer profiles, segmenting clients into profitability, developing varied strategies for each group. But, when creating a different strategy for each client, it was really too much to take on for most small businesses.

Then came the Internet, it was the biggest business database marketing vehicle ever invented. Direct marketers had seen the large potential of the web. Theese days few companies personalize or customize their web siteslargest change in business database marketing because of the Internet surrounds the business of customer service. The idea of Toll free numbers that rang to CSRs or customer service reps has really made quite an advancement. All CSRs are fully equipped with computers & headphones so that they can access the business database and related topics when requested. They get the requested data on their screen and convey the information over the phone to the customer. Then they type notes into customer database to record the subject matter of the call.

In today’s market, companies are also providing customer’s web access to the same screens that the CSRs see. Clients can now make their own searches to get related data without the need to contact CSR for getting that same data.

Businesses are pouring page after page of data related to product specifications, technical descriptions, and other details on their web sites so that every prospectget all the data they require. Marketing has changed for the masses, but these days we see a pull back to traditional database marketing. With a Phone number database, individuals are again picking up the phone, or using a predictive dialer to market the database direct (and the results can be great).

In these days of auotomated marketing, it’s nice when you actually speak with someone. Personalized marketing is making a reappearance, and those companies who can figure out how to combine the information that today’s technology makes possible with personal marketing will reap the rewards.