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PM Forum - Birmingham

Implementing a CRM database

Data is rarely a marketer's first love but to stay close to clients and prospects we all need to be expert advisers on the best methods of capturing, maintaining and utilising valuable contact information.

Simon McNidder, Pinsent Masons' data supremo and Chairman of the PM Forum in the West Midlands, led us through an informative and refreshingly honest Q&A session on implementing a CRM database.

Simon has been the CRM database & eMarketing manager at Pinsent Masons LLP for over eight years. He developed and implemented their CRM database, eMarketing and data strategy. He has won two awards during the project (a LEMA, and an 'all industries' CRM award), and integrated users from two mergers, creating a global database with 1,800 users. The challenge must have been quite clear to Simon when he began the project back in 2001 as he reports that they held email addresses for only 11 (no it isn't a typo) of the 50,000+ contacts in their database. We understand that the position is considerably different these days…

For those of you that couldn't attend the event, here are some of Si's top tips:

  1. Success will depend on human effort, correct procedures and decent data. Technology is only part of the solution.
  2. Get key internal influencers on board with your CRM project at an early stage; their peer pressure will do half the selling for you.
  3. Automate as many tasks as possible, such as auto-responses and alerts.
  4. Don't call it the "marketing" database - it's for your client-facing teams!
  5. Ensure it is quick and easy to use and integrates with Outlook if possible.
  6. Prioritise your data and focus first on your best prospects and clients as these will deliver you the best results. Re-verify their information on a yearly basis.
  7. Make sure users get more out of it than they put in. For example, create 'automated personalised email alerts' so client-facing teams can find out the firm's activity with their organisations and contacts.
  8. Ask your contacts to verify their own details - it'll save on the hassle and guess work.
  9. Don't try and do everything in-house. There are some excellent data management agencies that can work out cheaper than your own time.
  10. Even if your data is clean there is no time to rest on your laurels.

You can expect your data to degrade at the rate of around 10% per annum.

For more information you can also visit www.DatabaseFirstAid.com or join the "CRM databases in professional services" group on www.LinkedIn.com.

Thank you to our kind hosts Pinsent Masons; we appreciate your support of the PM Forum!

Hilary Campton
V Formation Ltd

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