Database Problems in Marketing
I have been working on a direct mail campaign for our team in many areas and we are finding that the yellow page listings and business list CDROMS contain so many closed companies that we are spending too much on the mailings, which are opened a little less because of the anthrax scare. Even customized lists are of little value. No one is keeping these lists fresh and deleting the ole data. Book of Lists are outdated as soon as they come out, CDROMS rip people off by disallowing lots of search downloads, yellow pages forget it. Phone numbers are wrong, addresses are wrong as a matter of fact most business parks are 30% unoccupied, downtowns about 15% and industrial areas about 28% nationwide, so with all these jobs and companies gone, there is no one keeping track of the data.
Yet we are told the recession is over? Whatever.
Are we judging by the stock market? Because it is not real either. T
he NASDAQ de-listed any company that might bring the market down over the last year and a half, except right after 9-11. It is a gambling casino anyway and the market always leads the real economy by 6 months. So if the market is just now going back up from its 9-11 average then we still have 6 months to get back to where we were then, which was terrible, remember all the lay offs before 9-11, starting back this time last year? Companies sell us lists all the time, the lists are wrong and rather than change the lists and update, they sell us old data and say we do not have the staff to fix the data more than once a year. Yet it needs to be changed every three months to even be + - 15% real. Yet if your Direct mail nets you only 1% we are really hurting. Direct Mail also termed junk mail is what pays for over 75% of the US Mail budget.
So if we lose the direct mail marketing technique we also raise our postal rates by that same percentage. Less mail means even higher prices. Big problems, since this is a major us infrastructure we need to keep civilization strong in America. If we replace the mail with e-mail then we will get tons of junk e-mail. Then important e-mails will be buried in 300 e-mails a day.
Why doesn't the FTC look into the list makers and their advertising, they are way off when they tell you that their data bases are updated and are (+) (-) 2%.
Small businesses are being hurt and that hurts America, since 2/3 rds of Americans are employed by small business and not by government.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
home cleaning services Deerfield ..So you want to get into the auto detailing business... Read More
Where would a business be without a business plan? A... Read More
Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely... Read More
Announcements can be handed out as a business cardAnnouncements can... Read More
One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small... Read More
If you're like the rest of us, you've spent a... Read More
I agree that knowledge should be free, but the next... Read More
It has been said that the only constant is change.... Read More
Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy... Read More
If you are a franchisee of a large franchise system;... Read More
New Franchisors and Entrepreneurs need to watch out as they... Read More
What is a Virtual Assistant?? A Virtual Assistant is that... Read More
Business Process Automation or BPA for short. This was a... Read More
Why does consistency in the message have an effect on... Read More
If you want to start a business in 2005, and... Read More
Do you operate your business as a series of projects,... Read More
Why are Chambers a good launching pad?Chambers provide you with... Read More
When do annoyances in a relationship become too much to... Read More
Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across... Read More
Car wash businesses are unique to other businesses. In fact... Read More
Security Professionals provide the products and services necessary to create... Read More
Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More
Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting... Read More
Each day we hear of companies entering the franchising industry.... Read More
If you're like me, you love accounting. It's so fascinating... Read More
recurring housekeeping Highland Park ..How do we keep track of our business deals?If you... Read More
A solopreneur I know disappears from my radar screen for... Read More
And is having a logo really that important?My answer to... Read More
When is the Chamber ideal for your business?Joining a Chamber... Read More
Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More
If you ask most small business owners what priority CRM... Read More
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'PREPONDERANCE OF PROOF'?I recently... Read More
There is significant competition in auto detailing and car washing.... Read More
E-mail and Internet use are integral parts of the typical... Read More
The single most important activity you can do in your... Read More
10 Best Practices to consider as your SBIR negotiations approach... Read More
Franchising companies often use Business Broker to help attain sales... Read More
My colleague, Jane, recently lamented to me an all too... Read More
Looking for a place to add a Quick Lube away... Read More
Your grandfather probably told you to "learn something new everyday".... Read More
"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't... Read More
If you're like me, you love accounting. It's so fascinating... Read More
Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner... Read More
A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it?... Read More
Remember those drawings from science class of how a lever... Read More
Most small businesses simply go about their daily business and... Read More
Remember the training programs, seminars, and workshops you had to... Read More
Most of us remember going to at least one garage... Read More
Senior citizens are generally not a large marketing segment for... Read More
Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy... Read More
Small Business |