Complete Data

It’s a shame that for all the great tools invented for organizations to systematize their data, some data still has the logic and organization of a landfill. And not one of the better landfills, either.

This is a particular problem as we navigate into the Era of Hyperpersonalization, where all communication you receive from organizations recognizes that you just spilled queso on your favorite shirt.

If your organization is suffering from Messy Data, how do you un-mess it so that you can do all the wonderful marketing things organized data lets you do?

These tips can help.

Consider the level of organization in your organization.

Is your org … disorg’d?

This is a totally serious question. Often messy data in an organization is symptomatic of larger issues of dysfunction and disorganization which can manifest themselves in:

Multiple platforms doing the same thing
Siloed organizations
Data stored on individual computers
Disconnects between key business units – like marketing and sales, for instance
Poor project management
Lack of awareness of organizational missions and goals
Disconnects between organizational missions and organizational acts

If any of these are you, sorry, but getting all your data aligned shouldn’t be a priority until you address these larger systemic issues.

You need to get your house in order before you can get your data warehouse in order.

There’s no panacea for getting this done, but the two best ways to turn around organizational dysfunction are:

Leadership spearheading
Effective project management

Getting the big bosses on board – truly on board – with organizational change is the No. 1 best way to make it happen. And empowered project managers dedicated to interdepartmental teams and clear communication will ensure that organizational change actually occurs.

It’s really hard to have great data in a misaligned organization. Fix the big problems first, then focus on your data.

Look at where your data comes from.

Like your mom used to say when someone dissed you, consider the source.

When it comes to your marketing data, consider the sources of that data. Specifically:

Where are they getting it from?
Is it clean?
Is it fresh?
Is it trustworthy?
Is it complete?

This is a particular issue with any non-first-party data, but all of these can be issues with first-party data, too.

Consider prospect data. You may have a prospect list that you think is complete and up-to-date, but:

The main contact left the organization a year ago.
The address is for a branch office, not the main office.
Everyone’s working remotely.
The company changed names.
Your predecessor bought the contact from a data broker, and that’s not indicated anywhere.
A previous salesperson contacted them, but didn’t update the listing.

And so forth. You have every right to be suspicious of any data that you or someone you trust didn’t personally enter into your database. And while you can trust it, you should verify it.

Verifying a database is no fun, and unfortunately, AI can’t really help. But it really needs to be done before jumping into database-reliant marketing with both feet.

Focus on data completeness.

Very often non-profits struggle with data completeness.

Here’s what we mean. Your non-profit hosts a fundraiser that includes ticket sales at the door. All that’s captured from those door sales is a name and an email. Think of everything you don’t have that you could use to create a personalized appeal to those people:

Address
Phone
Demographics
Interests
How they found out about you
What motivated them to buy

And for all you know, they may be in your system already, but you can’t read their handwriting and you create a new data record for them and they get two appeals from you and hate you forever.

Slight exaggeration, but just about everyone encounters a form of this problem as they’re building their database.

Again, there’s no cure-all, but the best way to minimize the risk of this happening is for your entire organization to commit to gathering complete data. That means having people fill out a form when they come to an event – or better yet, sign in on an iPad. It means salespeople not stopping until they get full contact information. Same for customer-service reps and people working tables at events.

Complete data doesn’t just happen. You have to be motivated to collect it.

Have an easy-to-use place to put data.

Note the modifier – “easy-to-use.” If it takes too much time for someone to enter complete data, they won’t do it. Or they’ll fudge it. Or they’ll enter partial data anyway.

You have to do the work on the front end with your CRM or database or whatever you have to capture data to make sure the process is something people want to go through. This means:

An engaging user interface
Drop-downs instead of form-fills
Attention paid to the flow of data entry
Testing, testing and more testing

Remember Field of Dreams? The only reason people came when the guy built the ballfield was because it was cool and sincere – sort of a baseball version of the pumpkin patch in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” They wouldn’t have come if it was a vacant lot full of bedsprings and tin cans.

Your data-entry functionality has to be like that – cool, clean and honest. And your back-end has to be robust enough to let you get at that data and break it apart in multiple ways.

Build that and they’ll come.

Teach your children well.

Sorry for the old-guy rock reference, but you need to train your people thoroughly – not just on the hows but also the whys.

If all you do is show them how to enter data but don’t tell them why complete data is so important, it’s a lead-pipe cinch you won’t get complete data.

If, on the other hand, you show them all the great things you can do with the data and how it directly impacts revenue and how much they get paid, they’ll be your biggest boosters.

Because marketing is a companywide thing, train everyone on complete data collection, because you never know when someone might be in a position to add to your organizational knowledge.

Getting better marketing data is always a work in progress. It’s never done. The good news is that if you feel your data isn’t where it needs to be, you can get it there. It starts with the want-to.

It wouldn’t hurt to talk to an expert, either. We have decades of experience in getting organizations’ data right. Reach out and let’s talk.

By Jim Felhofer 3/18/25