The right data provider is the one that fills your marketing gap in reaching out to the right customer.
Just as a subject line of the email could make or break your marketing effort, a mailing solution could do the same for your campaign.
If you do not choose the precise one meeting your requirements, prepare for the disastrous results!!!
So, how to avoid this scenario?
Ask the relevant questions to your vendor before acquiring their service.
It would put you in the right place at the right time…..
Organizations have accepted the fact; if the base is not strong, there would also be not good results.
As per a finding, bad data is already proving costly for many US companies, around $3 trillion every year.
Learn from their experience and get on the right track by asking the best and relevant questions.
We would now discuss, what questions any Data Buyers really need to ask?
Table of Contents
1. How often you Update your Data?
It’s a million-dollar question!!!
Every organization should ask this question to their future vendors. As we know, data is the lifeline of any business, never compromise on the same. The data sourced, developed should include all the elements such as the mailing address, contact number, email address, and others and it should be done with the latest tools. Any missing, or obsolete data is a red flag; cross-check this many times before pressing the green signal.
With the latest technologies being introduced, the vendors should make the best use of all technologies to yield the right results.
Upgradation is just not the necessity, it is the responsibility of every vendor, and they should follow it religiously.
Peter Sondergaard, previous Vice-President at Gartner Research also stated that:
Information is the fuel of 21st century
It shows the importance of the data in the current scenario.
Image source: dnb.com
Almost 88% of B2B marketers also believe the quality of data matters while executing the account-based marketing strategy.
2. How User-Friendly is the Solution?
Never overlook this feature; one should be really aware of how user-friendly is the solution?
If it does not make the task easier for your employees, then the overall results would be affected. And as the stakeholder, this would be the last thing you could wish for.
Verify innumerable times, see whether it has all the necessary features that your employees could grasp easily. If also they could not do so, how much time would it take to train them?
When you could find answers to all these, then it would be easier to decide the next step.
3. How can your Solution Resolve our Problems?
Valid question, right?
Any business should ask this question. If the solution could not alleviate your problems, why purchase it at the first place? Why would you also invest your money in the same?
Just ask this question directly and if the vendor is not providing a satisfactory answer or evading from it, then move on at the drop of a hat.
Believe it, you would never regret your decision!!!
A service provider that cannot provide you a simple answer for your relevant question, how could you trust them in the long-run?
4. What are the Sources from which you get the Data?
This is really significant. All the data should be collected from the best sources so that it helps meet the goals of the user.
A service provider needs to be strict in this aspect and collect data from valid sources such as conferences, events, business meetups and others. Later on, they can segregate it as per the industry and organization, which is not a big deal. But if the data source is blacklisted, then it is a huge concern.
You could lose your money in millions!!!!
As an organization, you would not never ever want this. Make sure you have this question on your list to ask the vendor.
5. Feasibility with the Current Process and System:
It’s obvious you would be having your own process and system in place before purchasing any new one to integrate with the same. The challenge that many face, is that most of the solutions do not integrate perfectly with the organization’s existing process. The mismatch is not a good sign, given the case you purchased it to make your work easier, not hard.
Check this with your vendor at the priority, and you would realize how important it is for your organization.
6. Could you Track the Behavior of your Prospect?
With increased competition and customer expectations, you need to get into the minds of the customer for accelerating sales. You could make it, if the service provider develops B2B data by analyzing the customer’s behavior.
But very few service providers could analyze the same and develop the solution accordingly.
Image source: oreilly.com
It’s necessary to have the right facts, and evidence about the customer so that your representatives do not waste time in chasing the wrong prospects. If your service provider does not follow this process, then it’s time to look for others.
The example here shows how only the accurate data could be analyzed further to take the right action adding value to the entire process.
7. Understanding the Reach of the Data:
Although the source of the data is important, you should also know from how many sources the data is collected?
The more the number of sources, the more you could find the data relevant and useful for your organization.
Any experienced data service provider knows this fact. They need to research a lot to extract the exact data aligned with the requirements of every organization. If the data provider you are dealing with does not follow this protocol, they are just scammers to earn quick bucks.
Avoid them at any cost.
8. Can you give Real-Time Examples and Results?
Every service provider boasts they are the best in the market, and this is their marketing strategy.
As a customer, do not fall into their trap. Take your time to completely understand their business process, how dedicated are they to their customers, their track results which their customer gets after using their service, and many more.
Ask your vendor to provide some examples where the users got benefit from their service. A vendor would always have these details as a feedback so that they can improvise their service. If they cannot give it, then their credentials are not worthy enough.
9. How much Sample Data do you provide for the Preliminary Test?
You should ask for the best sample data to check whether it aligns with your industry and organization. Sample data is like a sneak peek to the actual data that you might acquire in the future. Scan it thoroughly to get a better understanding of how the data could provide a streamlining effort for your campaign.
If you are comfortable in analyzing the businesses of a specific industry from a particular location, ask the same to your vendor. You can thus gain deeper insights into how effective their service would be for your business.
In the end, you can go for the right service.
10. Do you consider the Data Enhancement Essential?
With time, you need to adopt the latest marketing trends to outsmart your competitors and be the leader in the industry. For that, you just do not need to update the data but also enhance the data. This process offers you advanced solutions to reach customers via all marketing channels, such as email, direct mail, and telemarketing campaign.
Ask your vendor whether they provide these required facilities to the user before taking the plunge.
Conclusion:
All the organizations seek the right B2B marketing data. Some succeed in getting the best data, while others could not make it. The best way to have the right service is asking the real-time questions to your potential service provider. This could save you ample time, money and effort.
We have tried our level best in amassing the right questions that could work wonders for your business. With proper verification, you could benefit in the long run.
