Buying the Right Prospecting Data

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The right data list makes all the difference in prospect marketing. In order to build your client base you need to figure out which clients are the best prospects for your business. So here are a few tips to make sure when you buy consumer data you get the most bang for your buck!

First, Know Your Prospect

Before purchasing any list, make sure you know what you want and why you want it. At Synergy, we can help you determine which potential clients are ideal for your business and budget. Nowadays, data lists can be sorted by countless qualifiers, so understanding to whom you are marketing is critical before you start contacting data companies. You have to know what your looking for since some companies specialize their services for specific industries.


Before you start looking, you need to know who you are looking for!

Consider your potential client's perspective, I.E. What makes your business a perfect fit for their needs - from the prospect's perspective? According to the Aberdeen study on the science of sales intelligence, 42% of companies have insufficient knowledge of the business needs of their prospects. So do the preparatory work before you start looking at data, it'll save you time and money in the long run.

Not All Data Lists Are Equal

Make sure you check out different companies and ask about different options. Find out how the data company generates their list so that you know its the right prospects for your business. Take advantage of the services data companies offer such as sorting and cleaning.

Remember, your not buying a list for one-time use, it's an investment in your company!

Use Multiple Sources

When buying a prospecting list, it should come from multiple data sources. Check with the data company to see where they get their information. Data lists complied from multiple sources tend to be:

• More accurate
• More detailed
• Unique (So your competition can't mail to the same list!)

Keep It Clean

Data lists are like gardens, if you don't tend to them, they will die. Buy a prospect list from a company that automatically updates the list for you on a regular basis. If that is not an option, we can manage your list for you!

According to the United States Postal Service, the quality of a data lists deteriorates by approximately 2% a month, so make regularly updating your list a habit so that you won't waste time and money advertising to a dead end. 

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By: Will Pearlman

Making Your Prospecting Mailer a Present Worth Opening!

Everyone likes getting gifts!
 So make your mailer a fun surprise!

Everyone enjoys receiving a present. Opening a package with anticipation of its contents reminds us of past birthdays and holidays. So if you want to get a prospective customer interested in your mail advertisement, consider making it more like a present than a piece of mail. 

"Lumpy Mailers" as they are termed, have a response rate well above 10% and some companies have seen response rates as high as 50%! Compare that to the typical response rate for conventional mail pieces which are around 2-3%.

Many people might shy away from loading up their prospecting mail pieces because they think it'll cost them to much. Between postage and materials, is it really worth the extra cost? While the initial investment in producing a "lumpy" prospecting piece is slightly higher, the returns are far greater. And there is good news! 

As of January 22, the United States Postal Service offers first class postage for up to two ounces on any package for the standard one ounce price. That means you don't pay anything extra on postage to load up your mailer! So you might as well get the most bang for your buck! The significantly higher response rate you will generate from the extra weight will increase your return on your investment. People like to open things when they think there is something interesting in it. 

Most importantly, with the extra weight, you can get creative with your mailer! Instead of loading your piece up with more paper, find a creative way to tie your business into the mailer. Even something as simple as a branded calendar or notepad can do wonders to keep your company on your potential customers' minds. Or you can go with something a little more creative. If your a mortgage firm, have a mailer die-cut into the shape of a house or perhaps even make your letter out of a thin piece of roof tile for a unique texture. 

Source

Anything that adds volume and fun to your piece will increase the chances someone will open it and read your offer.

In addition to creativity inside your prospecting piece, look to make your piece stand out on the exterior too. Take advantage of the wide range of package shapes and sizes. They offer a great way  for your mailer to catch your prospect's attention. 

Source

Engage your prospect with colorful designs and decorations. Place a post-it note on the envelope! That's right, we can send your mailer with a personalized post-it note attached to the exterior of the envelope. Now your client  has a reminder about your offer that they can stick on the refrigerator before they even open your letter.

Utilizing these unique services, as well as the newly expanded weight capacity from the Postal Service, Synergy can help you design a direct marketing campaign that is sure to expand your business and increase your advertising return on investment! Get a free quote online for your next direct marketing campaign or give us a call at 714-824-3780!

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By: Will Pearlman

Newsletter: Buying the Right Prospecting Data

Synergy Says: Buying the Right Prospecting Data

May 2012

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The right data list makes all the difference in prospect marketing. In order to build your client base you need to figure out which clients are the best prospects for your business. So here are a few tips to make sure when you buy consumer data you get the most bang for your buck!

First, Know Your Prospect

Before purchasing any list, make sure you know what you want and why you want it. At Synergy, we can help you determine which potential clients are ideal for your business and budget. Nowadays, data lists can be sorted by countless qualifiers, so understanding to whom you are marketing is critical before you start contacting data companies. You have to know what your looking for since some companies specialize their services for specific industries.


Before you start looking, you need to know who you are looking for!

Consider your potential client's perspective, I.E. What makes your business a perfect fit for their needs - from the prospect's perspective? According to the Aberdeen study on the science of sales intelligence, 42% of companies have insufficient knowledge of the business needs of their prospects. So do the preparatory work before you start looking at data, it'll save you time and money in the long run.

Not All Data Lists Are Equal

Make sure you check out different companies and ask about different options. Find out how the data company generates their list so that you know its the right prospects for your business. Take advantage of the services data companies offer such as sorting and cleaning.

Remember, your not buying a list for one-time use, it's an investment in your company!

Keep It Clean

Data lists are like gardens, if you don't tend to them, they will die. Buy a prospect list from a company that automatically updates the list for you on a regular basis. If that is not an option, we can manage your list for you!

According to the United States Postal Service, the quality of a data lists deteriorates by approximately 2% a month, so make regularly updating your list a habit so that you won't waste time and money advertising to a dead end.

Use Multiple Sources

When buying a prospecting list, it should come from multiple data sources. Check with the data company to see where they get their information. Data lists complied from multiple sources tend to be:

• More accurate
• More detailed
• Unique (So your competition can't mail to the same list!)

Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter

By: Will Pearlman

Passive Aggressive Marketing: The Best Way to Reach New Customers!

Your in control of how the public views
your company, so make yourself known!

No matter how big or small your business is, the desire to grow and reach new customers is constant. The most effective marketing campaigns use a multichannel approach. But, you must ensure you are marketing to the right audience in the right way. A layered campaign involving a broad and passive approach working simultaneously with an aggressive and narrow marketing strategy is the most effect way to build your client base. In order to maximize this dynamic marketing style, an understanding of whom to which you are trying to sell, and the range of your marketing spectrum is required.

Going Big and Passive!

Awww, cute. Is your company
the big teddy bear everyone likes?

Prospect marketing must expose your brand while engaging potential clients in need of your company's services. For brand exposure, a passive approach must be taken. Advertising mediums such as television, newspapers, internet, and radio are great ways to make people familiar with your company name without a high pressure sales campaign or annoying spam messages. Brand recognition is built through repetition and familiarity. While building brand recognition, try to avoid over exposure; you don't want people to develop a sense of frustration or agitation because your company is everywhere. Just make a clear presence without over exposing. (less is more . . . and cheaper!)

The more people hear your brand name, the more comfortable they will become with it, even if they have never previously done business with your company. In psychology this is called habituation - the process of becoming familiar and therefore comfortable with an elicit stimulus. Familiarity is one way to draw potential clients to your company. Make people recognize your name, even if it is just locally or regionally. Then, as people recognize your brand, you can tell them what your all about in a personal and direct manner. This is where the narrow and aggressive side of your marketing campaign takes over.

Getting Personal

Make sure your offer has a personal touch.
This way prospects feel like your ad is a gift!

Whether your brand is established or not, you want your marketing strategy to feature a specific prospecting campaign to target potential customers who are in need of your product or service. Many data companies out there can filter lists for countless criteria, such as; industry, sales volume, number of employees, geographic location, etc . . . Determine who the target audience is for your company through the various criteria and then target a direct mail campaign for these potential clients. Send an aggressive offer or sales message to them displaying how your company will resolve their problems. Appeal to them using a specific offer that will positively effect their lives. 

Be Personally Aggressive, Communally Passive

Keep the aggressive marketing out of the mainstream! Make sure your company has a passive brand image in your broad and highly public marketing campaign. You want your community to view your company as a positive influence in their daily lives, not an aggressive advertising nuisance. With that in mind, when you send direct mail to people in your community, use a personalized and specific offer, they will not see it as a nuisance, but as a welcome invitation for a great deal on a local service. Moreover, if you have a pleasant brand image thanks to your passive marketing, then your direct customer contact will be a welcomed and informative offer to those who receive it!

Everyone has personal needs and so does your company,
but present your brand as a part of the community,
then market to each individual based on
what your business can do for them!

A combination of an aggressive, specific appeal with a passive, brand recognition campaign will generate a network of familiarity for your brand within the local community. Even if you are a national company, a regional campaign themed to a specific demographic area will generate additional local growth. If you can coordinate a well-targeted, aggressive, personalized prospect mailing campaign with a broad, brand recognition approach, you will undoubtedly see your business boom!

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By: Will Pearlman

Marketing to the Modern American: Selling Desire Over Necessity

As a marketing professional, I am just going to state the facts: People buy what they want, not what they need. So why do so many marketers try to promote the necessity of their product in daily life instead of the fulfillment of human desire?

Every business would like to believe that everybody needs their product. However, in this country, people do not buy what they need, they buy what they want. Therefore, marketing your product to a group of people who want your product, rather than need it, is more likely to give you a greater ROI (return on investment) and a significantly more successful marketing campaign. It all comes back to the concept of niche marketing (for more on niche marketing check out Maximizing your Ad Dollar: Getting the Most Out of Your Niche Market). Find a group of people actively seeking products or services similar to your business. Find what they have in common and market your business to that set of people.

NEED VS. WANT

The biggest problem most businesses have in their marketing strategy is they do not get why people buy things. Basic evolutionary theory tells us that humans seek to fulfill their needs before their wants in order to ensure survival. While this is true in nature, our modern society has curbed this propensity towards survival. Most of our daily needs are not a daily concern. Even if the grocery bill is high, Americans still want to buy a new television or go to the beach for a long weekend, instead of purchasing rational items of necessity. 

Human admiration of wealth engenders a conscience bias to satisfy desires over essential needs. A successful marketer should embrace the thought process of modern human consumers. In order to do this, find the demographic who wants your product and can afford it. If you are a high income mortgage company, know the neighborhoods where people might be looking to refinance. Similarly, if you are a small auto shop, find the people who want low-cost auto service. Then creatively design your campaign to play into your potential customers' ego. Show them how using your product or service will satisfy them, well beyond fulfilling just their basic need. 


Modern advertising is about fulfilling desires, not meeting the needs of daily life. If your marketing campaign is designed to show how your product meets only the needs of consumers, you are disconnecting from your target audience. Sadly, Americans do not worry about their needs anymore, they are more concerned about appearances and satisfying desires. 

Your Product Must Make People Feel Wealthy

The American Dream used to be simple: to be able to provide for your family without the fear of lacking the basic necessities for survival. The American Dream originally was for every person to be able to feed his/her family, have a roof over their head, and a gainful means of employment. However, American values have shifted over the past 40 years and advertising professionals must adapt accordingly. Our society has moved from a dream of security to a dream of wealth. Whether you agree or disagree with the direction we are heading, the fact is the most effective forms of marketing are based on one principle: The illusion of wealth - enabling people to feel or appear wealthy regardless of socioeconomic status. Market your product as a means to fulfill both a desire and a need. 


When targeting a specific demographic, remember to think about who wants AND needs your product, but remember to put more weight behind your appeal to desire then your appeal to necessity. Modern humans do not make purchases based on basic evolutionary needs. The key is to make consumers perceive your product as the means to fulfilling their desires. As Aristotle said, "Where perception is, there also are pain and pleasure, and where these are, there, of necessity, is desire."

Modern desire is not based on necessity in our global market. Like it or not, the developed world no longer values mere survival, it is about success exhibited through wealth. Therefore, use a niche marketing strategy to find those who have demonstrate a high interest in your product. Whichever industry you are in, you can develop a demographic which is ideal for your product or service, and generate the highest ROI for your advertising dollar. More importantly, once people have fulfilled a desire through a transaction with your business, they will be likely to return to you as their current desires subside and new desires arise.


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By: Will Pearlman

Who's the Brain of Your Company? No, Of Course It's Not Your CEO, It's Your Database!

Sorry CEOs, data is the brains, not you!
We know that breaks your heart!

As much as we would like to think the brain of a company is its employees or the CEO (or at least the CEO would like to think that), they're not. Employees are definitely the heart and soul, but the brains of any operation is the database. From your current clients to your prospecting lists, the better organized and thorough the information in your database, the more effective and efficient your company will operate.  

Many executives underestimate the importance of understanding and maintaining an in-house database. But, how can you project your company's potential sales growth and new avenues for expansion without detailed, accurate, and current information on your clients and prospects? You can't. Moreover, if your just buying lists from data companies, don't you think similar businesses might have the same lists? . . no matter what the data company might claim. You want to keep your data in-house so that your list is unique.  So here are some tips for organizing and managing your database:

Educate All Your Employees

Education is always the key!

Your number one priority should be to train and educate ALL your employees how to access and manipulate data as well as ensuring they consistently and accurately keep up with all their records. Make some knowledge of databases a requirement for most positions; especially sales, marketing, and administration. If you train your sales staff to maintain their own records, then your information will be more accurate and more consistently updated. When 20 sales people take the extra few minutes to update their records daily, your data will always be more accurate, more up to date, and less time consuming than just having one "data guy" update everything once a week or month. 

Know What You Want to Know 

Before Searching

Find Your Criteria, Then Check Them Off Your List
As You Add Data!

Before beginning to gather information, you need to determine what information you want. What does your business need to know about your prospects in order to effectively market to them? Even if you are updating an old list that has been neglected, ask yourself what information is valuable on that list as is, what is worthless information, and what would be useful new information to add as you update the list? Additionally, what new prospects are in need of your product or service and where can you find them? There are endless criteria and information out there so this part really comes down to your business and market, but as logic will tell you; always establish what you are looking for before you start looking!

Be Too Specific

The Beauty is in the Specific Details!

When building a database, the more specific your qualifiers the better. Modern database software has so many variables for searching and sorting lists, so break down your qualifiers as best as you can, be specific. Don't just describe a business as "hotel." Is it a resort spa? A casino? A motel? Bed and breakfast? Do they have special services or themes? Are they year-round or seasonal? How many suites do they have? What is their annual sales volume? How many employees do they have? Think of any categories that might help your business market more effectively.

Standardize All Your Lists

Between multiple lists, try to maintain titles that can be applied to all the people or businesses to which you want to market, regardless of industry. Have a master list of current clients and clients you would like to gain. Then create smaller, specific lists for various campaigns. When making data lists use broad titles and then describe each individual entry using specific qualifiers. 

Ok, so we don't like it when people are all the same,
but the more similar data sets are,
the easier they are to analyze!

Sometimes, all you need in a title is "description."  Then, use more precise qualifiers; windows and blinds, restaurants - bar/late night, resort - ski and spa, etc . . . You want most titles to fit for any business your company might market too. Although for some specific lists this won't always work out, cogent headers are extremely helpful in organizing data. Additionally, while you want your qualifiers to be specific, they should be standardized. Most database programs sort lists based on keywords and won't always pick up on related words. For example, if your making a list of hotels, use one category for casinos. Don't list some as "casino" and others as "gambling resort."

Establish and Maintain Format

Keep You Data List Polished and Professional,
It Should Look Like Your Office,
Not Your Teenage Son's Room!

Make sure everything in each list is entered in the same format. It is critical, especially with very large lists, to keep everything uniform. I.e., don't put some phone numbers in using one format; (555) 555-5555, and others in as; 555-555-5555. Likewise, addresses are notorious for having this problem on data lists. Before building or reorganizing a database, figure out where you want things like suite numbers, phone extensions, or name prefixes. Proper format will increase efficiency while updating data and allow for easier access to information. 

Once You Make It Clean, Keep It Clean

If your list is already out of hand, it is definitely worth investing the time to clean it up. The US Postal Service reports that approximately 2% of a typical data list deteriorates each month on average. That means in a year about 25% of your data is worthless if you don't maintain it. If you are marketing to this list, think of all the money you are wasting each month marketing to businesses or prospects that don't even exist anymore! 

Your Data is Just Like Your Laundry,
Keep it Clean!

Re-establish a baseline so that you can become more productive, rather than just let the mess continue to grow. You don't just let the laundry pile up endlessly do you? Of course not, you wash it (hopefully)! But, the longer you wait to do a wash, the longer doing laundry will take you. And, in the meantime, your running out of clean clothes! Just like the laundry, if your not constantly cleaning your data list, you'll eventually run out of worthwhile data. So try to avoid letting it get out of hand!

Just Like Your Bathroom,
Your Database Stinks When It Isn't Clean!

There are many companies out there who will maintain and clean your data lists for you, so if doing this in-house isn't in your budget, consider outsourcing this important job.

Customer databases are a time consuming and endless endeavor to build and maintain in-house. But, it is absolutely essential for any business to succeed.General lists purchased from data companies are never as good because they are rarely unique. A well-designed and maintained database is the foundation for strong customer retention and expanding your client base into new markets. 

Even if you need to shout it,
make sure it is known, DETAILS MATTER WITH DATA!

In short, database management comes down to one basic cliche rule: Attention to the details. A responsible, well-organized company understands the importance of details in establishing a culture where all employees understand and contribute to the database. If you can infuse this culture in your business at the database level, it will expand into all aspects of your business, and you definitely be pleased with the results!

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By: Will Pearlman