In the data industry, moving with the times is paramount. If you can’t roll with the punches, don’t expect to win the fight.
Because of this, marketers are extremely busy people. Like a superhero, magician or octopus, they must have the ability to do everything at once under a lot of pressure to deliver great results at the lowest possible cost.
So when landed with an old client database to enhance with a goal to reignite and generate repeat business, on top of everything else, quality of work is often overlooked and price takes priority. Why?
Sadly, many in the industry believe that a job done quick and cheap will produce the same results as something priced slightly higher that takes a little longer but who can be blamed for trying to get a good deal?
Well, no one but more fool you if you think that the above is possible. Data enhancement (appending and cleansing), if done properly, takes time to achieve the best results.
Both sides are to blame for poor quality work; marketers are so focused on getting the best value for money that they forget to ask the important questions. Salespeople sometimes represent a service that they know their client may face problems with, but need the sale to meet their target.
More often than not, clients contact me with a goal in mind but are unaware of the alternative methods we have available that would better suit their situation. They insist they need a price without allowing me to explain the differences between the solutions we can provide and end the conversation by saying they ‘will be in touch’ – closed lost.
When I get back in touch with these clients after they used my lower priced competitor, it is no surprise that they didn’t receive the service that was expected and this is where I obtain most of my clients. Slow and steady wins the race!
My advice to any marketer seeking database solutions or data enhancement would be the following:
- Do shop around for the best price, the data world is your oyster.
- Do ask questions; it says good things that you want to know what you’re paying for. If the service doesn’t sound like it’s right for you at least you have conversed with a human being. Conversation is wonderful and what you make of it so chat away!
- Don’t shy away from a high price in the beginning. Once you’ve asked the questions and made a decision based off of the quality of the work THEN visit price. As a salesperson, I love negotiating with clients! It makes for a healthy debate and increases your skill set.
My advice to a salesperson selling to a marketer:
- Know your product. Yes you may slip up sometimes and forget some answers to certain questions in which case you should always make the effort to find out. Be honest with your client, it will be appreciated.
- ALWAYS have your clients best interests in mind. A quick sale without listening to what the client wants means problems later on down the line. Look after your client and they will remember you the next time they have a similar project to complete.
- Ask about your client’s budget so you can come to an agreement that suits you both. Again, negotiating is healthy and a sale at a lower price than you originally quoted is better than no sale at all.
If you’re unsure of what you may need in terms of data enhancement including email cleansing or data appending get in touch at www.emailmovers.com or call 0845 467 4115 for a chat!
Evie Simpson