Contact Info Template For Building A Database

Jan 7

If you’re a business owner, you know the importance of having a loyal customer base. But if you notice that you’re just not getting the same amount of repeat customers or as many referrals as you want, it probably has nothing to do with the quality of your business as a whole. In fact, it might just have something to do with your communication.

Many companies spend a lot of time and effort on obtaining new customers, but you should focus some effort on getting them to come back, too. A 10% increase in customer retention can increase the value of your company by 30%.

But you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on marketing to get the job done. All you might need is an effective contact database to help you manage and keep tabs on your loyal customers. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is a Contact Database?

A database is a large amount of information that is stored in a computer system. In the example of a contact database, this is a place where you can access contact information for your clients without needing to dig through your phone’s call app.

But what makes a contact database so important? While having your clients’ names and phone numbers is important, it’s even more important to include information that helps you remember who they are. Understanding your client’s frequent purchases can help you connect with them on a personal level, and they’ll be more likely to come back for more.

Plus, it also lets you develop rapport with your customers, as they feel cared for and recognized when you’re able to remember personal information that you’d otherwise forget without a contact database.

Building the Perfect Database

Many people use spreadsheets in Excel or Google Sheets to keep track of their contact database, as this lets you easily add or delete columns while also being able to quickly search up specific contact names. However, you can also include most of this information in most smartphone apps under an individual’s contact.

The Basics

When creating your spreadsheet, these are some of the most basic pieces of information that you should create a separate column for:

First name
Last name
Phone number
Alternative contact methods, such as e-mail
Street address
City
State
Zip code

Every time you get a new customer, you should attempt to fill in this information within your spreadsheet or database as soon as possible. If you don’t have all of the info upfront, that’s okay! The blank fields will stick out and serve as a reminder to try to get it whenever you can.

Contact Grouping

After you have the basic stuff down, it’s time to group your contacts in a meaningful way. This allows you to send targeted or tailored ads, discounts, and messages to groups of your clients with similar interests or trends.

You have the freedom to divide your customers up however you like, but these are a few examples of potential groupings:

Star Clients: These are your customers who are huge fans. They’re at your store every single week, and they’re constantly referring other people to come to see you. You may consider giving these individuals some freebies or special deals that are only offered to them as a thank you for their continued support.
First Timers: Having a dedicated section of clients who have utilized your business once, but haven’t yet returned, should be noted. You can make extra efforts to reach out and try to get them to come back, perhaps by offering special deals. It may also be helpful to add a column in your spreadsheet noting the last time they made a purchase so you can see exactly how long it’s been.
Reliable Customers: This group of clients is regulars who frequently utilize your business. However, they might not be as likely to refer others to you or make as many purchases like those in the star clients list. Focusing on adherence here is essential, so keeping track of their information so you can invite them to private events or offer discounts is essential to keep them coming back.

Additional Information

In your database, you may want to consider adding a few other columns or fields to make communication a little bit easier.

A notes section is always great to have so that you can make comments regarding individual clients. Maybe you had a discussion with a client where they let you know they’d be graduating from school in just over a month. You can make a special note about this and then reach out to that client after graduation. Not only will that help develop rapport with the customer, but it also serves as the perfect time for you to send them a gift card to your business.

It’s also a good idea to include a client’s social media information. This is because you can learn a lot about your clients through their socials, so checking in on their accounts can help you gain insight into certain trends or changes you might need to start making in order to appeal to your audience.

Finally, a column to include your customer’s birthdays will never hurt. Remembering to reach out on their special day will serve as a reminder that you truly care about their business, and they might appreciate a freebie or discount to celebrate.

Using Pre-Made Contact List Templates

Creating your own customer contact list template can be time-consuming and challenging. Dialed is the micro tool for macro businesses if you want to get all of this done in a flash.

Not only can you import your contacts from your mobile phone account or Square account, but you can group them by type, location, or anything else you can imagine. Labels are fully customizable, so you can make a group for anything that applies. For example, you can label them as your:

Emergency contact list template
Employee contact list template
Address book template

Moreover, you can set the days and times that your business is open so that incoming calls or texts are silenced. Create a custom voicemail box, set a custom caller ID, and more. It’s like a multi-tool for your business.

Of course, if you like your very own spreadsheet, you can still use that to organize your contacts in one place so you can easily view their information. But using apps like Dialed can make it a lot easier for you to keep in touch with your clients all through a single app on your smartphone.

In Conclusion

While getting new customers is undoubtedly important, getting them to come back is arguably even more important. Creating a customer database that keeps all of your contacts as well as supplementary information in one place is essential.

Some important columns to include in your database include first and last name, address, phone number, and email. But you may also want to include a notes section and birthdays column to help develop respect with your clients.

Also, you may want to group your clients based on their spending habits or other features to make it easier to send targeted ads and deals to specific groups of people. This will make communication a lot easier for you in the long run. Ultimately, it’ll amp up customer retention and make your business soar.

Download Dialed now and start building or growing your contact database.

Sources:

CUSTOMER RETENTION STATISTICS - The Ultimate Collection for Small Business | Small Business Trends

The Start-up Dilemma - How Much to Spend on Sales & Marketing | Vendux Interim Sales Leadership.

Access 2016: Introduction to Databases | GCFGlobal