STUDENTS' CORNER - 208

Now, they talk of a delighted customer

Let us spend some time on databases and how they are and can be put to use.

We are focusing on customer database and not on any other databases like product database, business database; each one has its specific utility. All kinds of databases are significant and they gain priority depending on the context.

Database is one of the essential business assets and successful business intelligence makes the best use of the database. Of course, sustained success is the common motive of any business organization. Let us see what an intelligent reading of the database brings to a business.  Your customer database must ultimately lead you to distinguish the prospective customers who are different from the casual customers who make impulsive decisions to buy your product. Prospective customers are those who are already your customers in thought and feeling but without an actual purchase. And it is easy to turn a prospective customer into your actual customer. This only means your database takes you almost close to the individuals whose purchase pattern is nearly decisively understood and predictable. It means the information in the database must have been gathered by an understanding expert who gives you the behavioural pattern of the individuals found in the customer database.

Normally, how the businesses find out the prospective customers? You begin with appealing ads proclaiming the merits of your product. It is inevitable and at present it does not pose any great hurdle excepting that of finance you can afford to allot for ads.  And the ads must have some ways of eliciting feedback from the readers.  To expect all readers to respond to your ads is to be blind to the reality of life though your consistent efforts will succeed in persuading some readers to respond.  Readers feedback is a must and the base you need to identify the prospective customers. Generally, ads carry some tools like business reply card or toll free phone numbers.  You have to take care that the response does not cost anything in terms of money to the reader and even the time he has to spend must be very minimal.

Identification of the prospective customers is necessarily followed by contacts with the customers.  The contacts can be established through emails, phone calls or even personal personnel visits. All forms of contact must be so organized or carried out that they end in making the identified individuals the customers first and later turning into loyal customers is another story.  It is called focus on the identified target.  You have to impress upon your marketing personnel that their marketing strategy must always end in the sale of the product or service.

More of it we will see in our next session where we discuss steps to be taken to transform the target into your loyal customer ultimately.