What information should I store in my customer database?

Your customer database is a great space to store valuable information about your clients. New fields and a wealth of information can be easily added to your data warehouse that can be effectively used by your sales and marketing folks. Consider demographically describing your customers and prospects by creating fields for information such as annual sales, number of employees, years in business, square footage of the plant, and any other pertinent fact about the client that is relevant to the type of business relationship you hope to establish or nurture.

When you take the time to enhance your current customer database, you will then find it a snap to generate a list of qualified prospects that are, in essence, clones of your best customers. It is much easier and quicker to sell to prospects that look, sound, and act like your most loyal clientele.

Here’s a bonus tip: Create a column/field in your spreadsheet/database near your clients/prospects’ contact information named “Preferred method of communication.” A pull-down menu containing voice call, text, email, snail mail, etc. is an excellent option for this. Make it a habit of asking each person for their preference and making that the primary way to reach out to them. You’ll be surprised at how few companies ask for this info of their customers and how much your clients will appreciate you for asking and abiding by their wishes.