From initial setup and data migration to full sales/marketing integration, you count on your database manager to handle huge volumes of sensitive information. Your customers are more aware than ever of the value of their data – and of what can happen if it isn’t secure.
Any competent database manager can ensure good data security, but it’s just as important to demonstrate your trustworthiness to your prospects. They need to feel comfortable sharing their data with you. Here’s how to let your customers know you value their data as much as they do.
Be Up-Front
When collecting primary data, let leads know at every step of the way why you’re asking for it, what they’ll get in exchange for it, and who else might access it. Forms must include a link to your privacy policy that spells out these details in clear, concise language. Visitors should also know when you’re gathering behavioral and contextual data as they use your site; by being transparent about what you’re collecting and how you’ll use it to serve them better, you’re starting off with a foundation of trust.
Get Personal . . .
Leads respond to customized user experiences, and to customize your interactions with your prospects, you need to know a few details about them. Using names and job titles in email correspondence is proof that you’re listening, but you need data before you can personalize.
Your database manager can set up forms to get high response rates and minimize the amount of inaccurate data coming in, a common concern with user-entered data. It’s easy to leave a number out of a ZIP code or transpose letters in a state abbreviation, but forms that screen invalid entries and use drop-down menus cut down on inaccurate data.
. . . But Not Too Personal
When it comes to customization, it’s possible to give leads too much of a good thing. Some data is meant to provide context for sales and marketing, not for leads to see directly. Through data enhancement, you might learn something about your lead’s income range, but mentioning that in an email would be too much information. Prospects trust you to gather data responsibly and use it judiciously.
Greet Susan Jones by name, in other words, but don’t call her Suzy unless you know that’s the name she uses on business correspondence.
Give Prospects More Control
A great way to build trust with your audience is to let them tell you how they want their data used. Your database management consultant can help you put together preference pages that hand control back to your leads so they can choose the level of correspondence they find comfortable. Another advantage of readily accessible preference pages is that leads can revisit them and grant you more access as they grow to trust you more. Offering an incentive to update preference pages every few months is a good way to keep leads engaged and encourage them to share more with you.
Of all the database services you need, demonstrating to your customers that you deserve their trust is high on the list.
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