Tag Archives: Clean

Market Analysis

Keep the Data Clean

Unlike a bottle of wine, your doctor database does not improve with age. In fact, your valuable list of doctors deteriorates at a rate of about 15 percent each year.

Let’s put this in terms of dollars. If you have the names and addresses of 100,000 doctors, and your database has not been updated in 2 years, then about 30,000 of those contact records are likely to be spoiled. If you mail a promotional piece that cost $3 each for printing and postage, you’ve just wasted $90,000 of your precious marketing budget.

Worse yet, maybe some of these doctors who were mailed your promotion or called on by one of your sales reps have retired, moved to another practice or, heavens forbid, passed away. Now you’ve shown a lack of judgment and respect. You’re credibility is history.

The Need for Data Quality

Data quality is a critical business issue. Bad data costs enterprises over six billion dollars a year, according to findings from The Data Warehouse Institute. But companies who have added data quality initiatives to their plans have benefited, adding millions to their bottom line from increased sales, lower distribution costs and better compliance.

For the pharmaceutical industry, the need for clean, actionable data is more critical than ever. With fewer feet on the street following recently announced downsizing, pharmaceutical sales reps and managers need to work smarter, and that means working with information that is accurate and up to date.

Pharmaceutical companies rely on quality data assets to help them in market analysis, sales force planning and other strategic moves. Understanding not just doctors but which medical groups they are part of, where they practice, what they practice, and who is among their support team, helps sales forces operate more effectively.

The Benefits Outweigh the Costs

Without updating their list of doctors at regular intervals, pharmaceutical companies risk wasting thousands of dollars in missed appointments, undelivered mail and low telephone connects. Even more expensive is the opportunity costs of not getting their messages through to a qualified decision maker.

The benefits far outweigh the costs. In fact, the cost of a doctor database hygiene service can easily be recaptured after just one sales or marketing event. A scrubbed database enables you to send information that is more relevant, put sales reps on the right course, improve office relationships, make smarter decisions about segmenting, and contribute positively to the bottom line.

Half Good is not Good Enough

As an example of the value of data hygiene, a U.S. pharmaceutical company submitted its database of 140,000 physicians for updating to the SK&A Research Center. SK&A’s source doctor database of 670,000 practicing list of physicians is telephone-verified every six months and is often used in the industry for matching and appending.

Comparing its database against SK&A’s, the pharmaceutical company found that 45 percent of its names were valid and correct, 34 percent were corrected with a simple address change, 14 percent were invalid because the physician had either retired or was deceased, and 7 percent were likely invalid records because they could not be verified. In the end, 93 percent of the pharmaceutical company’s database was resolved. Had it not taken this initiative, the pharmaceutical company would have been working with data that was less than 50 percent accurate.

When the data is refreshed you have a more complete view and thus increase your opportunities for success.

Pharmaceutical as well as other stakeholders are eager to put data in, but rarely do they take it out. In fact, they often rely on individual sales representatives to help in the clean-up effort. Knowing the habits of salespeople, that solution rarely works! Data verification is an ongoing process and not just a one-time event or periodic task. It requires a data mentor and support at the highest levels of management.

Market Analysis

Mailing List Brokers Provide Clean, Current and Targeted Marketing Lists

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Mailing lists brokers are information salesmen for today’s marketing campaigns. Your company does not have time to compile thousands of addresses and check them for accuracy. You can purchase email lists from these brokers as well, ensuring that your email marketing campaign gets off on the right foot. When many companies cut back on advertising, your company can pick up many new customers. It is more important than ever before that your company name and brand stand out.

When you purchase email lists, it is important that your company only uses one of the mailing list brokers that has established itself as reputable and reliable.  Over 100 million emails are sent everyday.  If your company sends out a mass email marketing campaign, you don’t want to receive the message that the email is no good. As you know, it only takes a one letter mistake for an email to be returned or to go to someone that is not your targeted audience. This is a waste of your company’s time and resources.

You can purchase email lists that are targeted to your exact specifications.  These lists can be separated into categories such as age, gender, professional or even lifestyles. These lists are created from opt ins that allow for third party emails. The CAN-SPAM Act of 1993 lists out the requirements for email marketing and the penalties as well. When you purchase email lists from mailing list brokers that use opt in emails, your company has taken the first step in complying with this important law.

There are many different uses for email and marketing lists. If you have a new presence on the web, this can be a great way to promote the website.  You can inform potential clients and customers of new products and services. You can invite people to download a free report or e-book and hopefully generate a sale from their visit to your website. No matter what your company sells or provides, email lists can be an effective marketing tool to make your company money!

You’ll also want to be sure that the format the lists are provided on is one that your company can use. Most will offer lists in many different formats to ensure the lists are easy to use. You can have your company’s marketing email sent out in just a matter of minutes if the information is provided correctly. The sooner your email gets to the inboxes, the faster your revenue increases. Most emails create a conversion rate of one to three percent.  It is easy to see why email lists are important in today’s internet age.

In closing, mailing list brokers provide their clients with one of the tools needed for an effective marketing campaign. Make sure you use a company that provides the most current and clean information, as well as great customer service. Since email marketing is so inexpensive, you can use the money your company saved for future advertising. After all, you’re in the business to make money; make sure your emails generate some!

Market Analysis

How To Clean Glass Windows in Eight Easy Steps

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TAYLOR, Mich., December 17, 2008—Wallside Windows—the largest retailer/manufacturer of windows in a single geographic market in the United States—has listed eight steps to follow whenever you face the task of washing the windows in your home:

1.    Prepare a cleaning solution of one capful of ammonia in 2 gallons of water or 1 cup of vinegar in one quart of water.
2.    Dip a cloth, sponge or chamois in the solution, and wring it out to almost dry. You want just enough solution to cover the window without flooding it.
3.    Wash the surface of the window with the sponge, paying special attention to the sides and corners of the window frame, where dirt and grime tend to build up.
4.    Dip a squeegee into a bucket of clean water. Press the squeegee lightly into the surface of the window, starting at the top and pulling down vertically, stopping a few inches before the bottom of the window.                                      
5.    Wipe off the squeegee with a paper towel. Press the squeegee down the area of window directly     beside the one you just cleaned, stopping at the same place (a few inches before the bottom of the window).     
6.    Continue this process until the entire surface of the window except the final few inches at the bottom has been cleaned. 
7.    Pull the squeegee horizontally across the bottom section of the window and then wipe the squeegee off with a paper towel.
8.    With paper towel or newspaper, dry off any water collected at the bottom of the window frame.

Additional Tips:

  • Avoid washing windows in direct sunlight as they tend to streak.
  • For hard-to-reach windows, squeegee extension poles are available at most hardware stores. 
  • Be careful not to drip cleaning solution on varnished woodwork, as it can damage the finish.
  • Do not wash windows with a high-pressure spray – the pressure could crack or displace the caulking around the window.

Founded in 1944, Taylor, Michigan-based Wallside Windows specializes in the manufacturing and installation of custom-built vinyl replacement windows, and offers a variety of styles such as: bay, bow, sliding, garden and picture windows.  For more information on the company, please visit www.wallsidewindows.com.