How To Lay The Groundwork For A Client Database

Follow this simple guide to ensure you lay your groundwork, choose appropriate database technology and encourage your staff to embrace the coming changes.
Phase 1 - Identify Your Key Objectives and Outcomes
Before you implement any company changes you need to ask yourself 'what am I trying to achieve?'. An example objective might be to increase repeat business in medium value purchases. In this case you might find that your sales team give a lot of attention to the initial sale but don't follow up customers for repeat business. To solve the problem with a client database you could focus on a system to capture client info after every sale and devise a 'repeat business schedule'. This might include automated emails with special offers and a follow up call calendar for your staff to adhere to.
The above is a very specific example. Your objectives may be broader, such as: to track sales results, improve staff efficiency, to provide extra support and attention to high value customers. This is okay, so long as you are clear on exactly how this benefit can be achieved using a client database.
You can also have more than 1 main objective, however choosing more than 3 will cause problems. If you have many desired outcomes break them down into 'essentials' and 'nice to haves'. And then list them according to priority. Realistically if your list is more than 12 items long you won't find a system that offers every feature you want but by deciding your priorities in advance you can select the system which offers the best possible fit.
Phase 2 - Research How Your Data Is Currently Managed
Your investigation should be concerned with the data which impacts your primary objectives. Whether your staff are using excel, outlook or even relying on an old fashioned rolodex, make sure you ask them why they use those methods? What they like about them? And finish with what they think could improve company data management This line of questioning should lead you to the features your staff would really like to see in a new system and any obvious inefficiencies' that could be creating problems in your business.
When you include your team in the selection process you show them that you value their opinions. By asking them what they like about their current processes and getting them to suggest improvements you encourage them to 'buy into' the new system. This is an important part of change management. When you make your team part of the solution they will be committed to implementation success rather than fighting the change.
Phase 3 - Choosing The Best System
Now that you have your key objectives sorted and detailed information on how your data management could be improved it is time to start looking for the technology that can make it all happen. My biggest tip for database selection is that you must keep a clear head at all times. Don't get carried away by all the fancy whiz bang features the software rep will want to show you. Take your objective list with you to all meetings and demo's and focus on the features relevant to your goals.
Remember how we talked about staff 'buy in'? Include your staff in the selection process. Have them test run a few client database systems on demo (or free) accounts. Get them identify what they liked about the system, what they hated and what needs to be changed. They will be the people who actually use the client database, so any feedback they provide will be invaluable.
In this situation beware of the large multinational software providers, they tend to treat smaller clients with a one size fits all approach. They offer poor customer support. For example every time you contact them for help you end up speaking to a different operator (who is usually inexperienced) rather than someone who knows you company and what you set out to achieve with your client database.
If the exact system you want doesn't exist yet, then finding the right provider becomes a necessity, as they can help you customize the client database software to meet your specific requirements. Bear in mind customization can be costly, so stick to the primary objectives when making changes and learn to live without the 'nice to have' features.