Are you having a hard time finding the names of HR Directors or Marketing Coordinators of businesses when you are generating a mailing list?

It is very common not to be able to pull the positions of people in a business list. This is due to the fact that business lists from Dun & Bradstreet, as an example, are at the mercy of the information that is offered by the informer. Business information has to be volunteered by businesses. Companies like the D&B do their best to collect information through calls and questionaires, but again, businesses are not obligated to offer their information.

Furthermore, every business has a turnover rate (people leaving, fired, hired, promoted), so to keep up on people’s positions at each company is nearly impossible.

Gathering leads from multiple sources can pose problems when compiling them and using them later on for mailing and other sales activities. For example, there may be duplicates that need to be purged, addresses that need to be corrected, entry fields lacking the proper spacing (like zip codes for mailing). To help combat these possible issues, the following list management tips offer a variety of helpful solutions.

Sorting Tips

1) The information that feeds databases has to be sorted properly. For example, sort data in the ascending or descending order to make things easier for the sales team to review when making sales calls.

2) The popular Microsoft Excel software has several options that can make sorting a much easier process. Select any one cell from the list; find the sort option in the data menu; if there is a list of customers or clients, sort them by their names. After this, click on “sort”. It is also possible to make a different column and store the sorted data there.

3) Also, remember to select only one column at a time while sorting. If you select more than one cell, then only those selected cells will be sorted out, and this sometimes can damage your entire data.

Getting Rid Of Duplicates By Consolidating Data

First, consolidate the data so that getting rid of duplicates becomes easier. One type of consolidation is using the layering option. Select the range of data to consolidate until all the data is overlaid on each other. After this, select the operation you want to perform on the data.

The data can also be consolidated by category. Here the data is arranged in a different manner but the headings of rows and columns are similar. In this method, these headings form a part of the consolidation. Excel then inspects these headings and consolidates data in the appropriate manner, after which duplicates can be deleted.

Many times, there may be a repetition of names or particular data to fill in. When the data is large, it becomes difficult to eliminate the duplicate data manually. At such times, use Excel to simplify the elimination process. One of the simple methods is using the ‘count’ option. This will help in acquiring a total of all the names in the data after consolidation. The duplicate names are highlighted and can thus be eliminated easily.

It is also possible to opt for the advanced filter option. Auto filter option enables the data to filter and find out duplicates if any. Once duplicates are found, it is easy to get rid of them. Conditional formatting is another option for removing duplicates.

Another way to find out duplicates in the data is by using the pivot table. Pivot the list, which will give a clear picture of duplicates in the data. Fill the row and data columns in the pivot table and use the count option to find multiple entries.

Databases To Use For Importing Or Exporting Lists

Export or import the data to Excel, Word or Access from the databases. This allows the study of data in a comprehensive and detailed manner. It is also possible to import information to other databases like Act. There are two buttons called import and export on the desktop. Select the option depending on whether to import or export information. After this, select the destination and select the ‘go’ option.

There are certain rules to follow while importing information to the database. First, find out the type of information to import. Then select the text file that you wish to import. Use type codes for convenience of classification of information, and check the import options to get rid of duplicates in the data while importing any type of information.

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There are different types of lists that are quite important for marketing professionals, online marketers and graphic designers. Among them are two types of lists that are quite crucial when it comes to marketing, compiled lists and buyer lists. Compiled lists are the lists of names and addresses that are created specifically for direct-mail marketers and represent a particular target market. The buyers’ lists are the records that can help you determine and identify potential buyers. Buyers’ lists include names of hard-core buyers who purchased products or services in the past.

Compiled Lists

Compiled lists are highly targeted and can be cost-effective, depending upon promotion and marketing strategy. These lists are made up of qualified sales leads and mailing lists for business-to-consumer (B2C) and/or business-to-business (B2B) products and services. You can buy compiled lists or rent them for a certain amount of money.

Buyers’ List

Closing sales can be faster if there is a strong buyers’ list. Such lists can be made by contacting list brokers; search for them online and in trade publications’ classified sections. List brokers can offer names and addresses of buyers in all types of targeted area, even offering demographics to help nail sales.

Differences

The main difference between compiled lists and buyers’ lists is compiled lists from generalized sources like telephone directories, credit bureaus and annual reports. The buyers’ lists contain contact details of the customers who have agreed to be contacted, most often, and they are known to buy, not just be tire-kickers.

·         Compiled mailing lists are usually very vast. They need to be narrowed down to the work needed to perform.

·         Buyers’ lists are more targeted but do get preference over compiled lists when it comes to online and offline marketing or finding clients, as these people are proven shoppers that were closed on sales of others, thus more likely to buy again in the future, trusting the process, selling avenue and sellers.

Size of the compiled lists themselves can be much more important that the buyers’ lists sometimes; in short, size may matter. If the product needs to be advertised on a larger basis and has to include each and every household in a particular area, then a compiled list is needed. While buying lists, the cost difference between these lists tends to also be considerable. The response lists are more expensive while compiled lists are considerably cheap.

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit  www.makepapereasy.com.

For a Consumer Data Mailing List, there are multiple geographic selections to choose from:

Zip Code, Zip Range, Carrier Routes, Radius, City, State, County, Multi-Location Radius, Area Code, Phone Prefix, DMA Code, Census Tract, CBSA.

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Business mailing lists typically only have a 80% accuracy rate. This is due to the fact that most business data is voluntarily offered by the businesses to D&B, rather than a company pulling information from a database.

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When using the household income variable while running an Occupant List (a basic list of all addresses in an area), be sure to know that the general minimum should be 70k ($70,000) for the list to provide thorough information. If a client is looking at a household income of less than $70k, then it is best to run what is called a Consumer List.

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A Real Property Data List is an extensive list of verified homeowners, and is compiled from county and assessor files. Like the Occupant List, the Real Property List is determined by area.

There are chargeable selections to choose from such as Total Loan Amount, Loan to Value Range, 2nd or 3rd Mortage, Loan Amount, Loan Date, Loan Interest Rate Type, Loan Lender Type, Owner Type, Housing Type, Home Purchase Date, Home Purchase Amount, Available Home Equity, Home Market Value, Delinquent Tax, Delinquent Tax Year, Square Footage or Lot Size, Number of Bedrooms, Number of Units, Year Built, Length of Residence, Fireplace or Garage, Pool, Heating & Cooling System, Age, Gender, Marital Status, Estimated Household Income, Age of Children, etc.

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Specialty lists are available to clients seeking to get ahead of their competitors. These lists include New Movers, Pre-Movers (people that have put their house up for sale), New Homeowners and New Borrowers.

A Consumer Data List is a list that provides information on non-business related people. As the name would suggest, this data is best used when businesses are trying to get the attention of the consumer.

Some of the free selections that can be made to fine-tune a list:

-Age

-Income

-Gender

-Marital Status

-Households with children

-Age & gender of children

-Households with seniors

-Homeowner or renter

-Home value

-Year home built

-Length of residence

-Verified homeowner flag

There are other chargeable options such as Date of Birth, Education Level, Occupation, Number of Children, Investors, Net Worth, Ethnicity, Religion, Email Users, Housing Type Detail, Home Purchase Date, Loan to Value Range, Available Home Equity, Hobbies & Interests, Ranking Invitiation to Credit Approvals, Credit Card Users, New Bank Card Issued, Mail Order Buyer, Types of Retail Purchases, PC Owner, DSL/High-Speed User, New Parent, Recent Mortgage Borrower, Recent Home Buyer, Child Nearing High School Graduation, etc.

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An Occupant Data List is simply a list of all addresses within an area. Occupant Lists typically do not include names, and are usually used for the purpose of saturating an area with printed marketing materials.

Common selections available for Occupant Lists are as follows:

-Radius by distance or drive time

-Dwelling type (single-family homes, multi-family, trailers, businesses)

-Route type (city, rural, p.o. box)

-Median income

-Median home value

-Percentage of households with children

ABOUT PROJECTCENTER:

ProjectCenter is a single-source service company providing marketing and document solutions to small, medium and large-sized businesses in the U.S. area. ProjectCenter is based in Phoenix, Arizona and its services include graphic design, web design, printing, copying, scanning and mailing. For more information, please call (602) 252-6655 or visit www.makepapereasy.com.

All business mailing lists are compiled through D&B data. Although not the most concise of lists, it is still a great tool for marketing purposes.

Some free options to help tailor a list are:

Employee Size

Sales Volume

Year Started

Headquarters or Branch

Minority Owned Business

Other options with a premium are Exact Employee Size, Exact Sales Volume, Franchise, Cottage Industry, Import or Export, Owner’s Ethnicity, Women Owned, Small Business, Gender of Contact, Legal Status, Owns or Rents, Public or Private, Square Footage, Subsidiary, Phones, Contacts, Job Titles, Franchise Name, Fax Numbers, etc.

Check out ProjectCenter’s website at www.makepapereasy.com.