Have you hugged your database lately?

Good morning! It’s Labor Day morning and while at the gym this morning, I got to thinking about my business, and my customer’s businesses. Isn’t funny how certain thoughts strike us at unique (sometimes odd) times? For some folks, they get their ideas while in the shower (I’m not awake enough for this to happen to me) and for others, it might be during their commute to the office. For me this morning, it was the Stairmaster. Most of the time, for me anyway, when inspiration strikes, I’m someplace where I can’t write it down, and by the time I get to a place where I can write it down, I can’t remember the inspiration. I wish I could blame it on turning 50, but this was happening to me long before I turned 50.  Anyway, on with my inspiration…

As you may already know, I’ve been in the contact management database business for a long time. First as a user, then as a business consultant. My particular area of expertise is helping other businesses build and develop a database of their most profitable customers, ideal business partners, and passionate referral sources.  I hope you will agree with me when I say that in your business, your database is your most valuable asset. You do have a database right? Now, please understand that I’m not talking about your Outlook address book, or some other email-based address book, or contact directory on a cell phone, smart phone, pda or spreadsheets.

No, what I am referring to is something much more valuable and tangible. What I’m talking about is a living, breathing, dynamic and organic relational database that is the sole-source repository of everyone you know. It needs to be customizable, searchable, and capable of segmenting your contacts into a variety of categories. It also needs to be secure and capable of being backed-up on a very regular basis. Ring a bell? If you don’t have something like this, then not only is your whole business at risk, but you’re losing revenue. Lot’s of revenue!

At True North Partners, we focus exclusively on two contact management (or contact relationship management) database systems. ACT! and Infusionsoft.

Over the course of the next several blog posts, I will be writing about each of these systems, and going in to great detail about how you can improve your company’s profitability, and overall net worth, by harnessing the power of systems like ACT! and Infusionsoft.

Thanks for taking the time to share in my morning inspiration.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Related posts:

1. It’s just a database!
2. Database or Rolodex?
3. Thanksgiving thoughts.