"I Don't Get That Computer Stuff..."

I hear people say this every day, and some of them get a little testy if you even ask them for an email address. Admittedly, most of us are getting around fairly well with email, and have learned how to search the internet for information. I don't generally try to convince anyone who doesn't want to use a computer that they have to. Who am I to make ANYone do something they don't want to do?! (My children aren't reading this, so I can say that...)

What if you own a business that needs more exposure and sales? Clearly a marketing issue, and if you've read about modern marketing dazzlers like "database marketing", and know you "dont get that computer stuff", than I have good news for you - A database has nothing to do with your computer!

Seriously. A database is nothing more than a collection of information. A file box with index cards, each containing a name and phone number that you wrote with a #2 pencil is a database. An address book that has your Christmas card list is a database. That book you have that you filled with business cards? A database! Who knew? That's all a database is - a collection of information.

Now - if you are working with customers and prospects, it's not hard to figure out that the more of those index cards you have in that file box, the more information you have to sell more stuff to those people. And that's where computers come in handy. Moving all that data into electronic form allows you to collect it in extremely large filing cabinets - they're simply electronic.

Do you know what else you need besides lots of data? (Remember - "data" is just a short word for information) If you want your data to be more useful for you, you need some organization so you can find things. (Fancy word for finding things? Retrieval!) An example of organizing a database is doing what you were taught in grade school - just putting it in alphabetical order!

Let's say you've created a customer database that looks like this:
1. A small file box
2. 100 index cards
3. 100 first & last names
4. 100 phones #s.

First thing you're probably going to do is simply put it in order by last name, and if you're really fancy, you'll add some index tabs! That's a good, basic approach to a database, and you can now find phone numbers very easily. But...what could you do with a little more information? (Data...I need to call it "Data"!)

OK - Here's a list of a little more basic "data" you could use in your database:
1. Street Address
2. City
3. ZIP code
4. Job Title
5. Age
6. Gender
7. Email address

These are just a few of the endless pieces of information (ouch - DATA) that might help you know your customer better and figure out how you might sell to them more effectively. And...it's those endless pieces of data that finally will require someone to enter it into a computer. The good news? It doesn't have to be YOU entering it. Believe it or not, you can frequently BUY the data you need, or at least hire someone to dig through your filing cabinet and then enter it into electronic form for you.

One of my favorite things to do with an electronic database? Sort it differently!!! I just love selecting "sort by ZIP code" and watching all my customers who are in the same ZIP code magically appear in alphabetical order on my computer screen. Data retrieval is FUN! Can you do that with a filing cabinet? Well...yes...it's called 'cross-referencing', and back when I learned to type and file and all that secretarial stuff, it took forever to do. I guess that's why I love my electronic databases so much - they make my life So. Much. Easier. I love it!!

You can keep hating to use the computer, but PLEASE don't hate databases. Just buy what you need, or hire someone to make it work for you. We can do both at AlphaGraphics, and the results will be worth their weight in gold.

Data Rocks!! Get yours lined up and increase your sales!

Mary Beth Smith

for "The AG Marketing Companion