Why “Garbage In, Garbage Out” Is Haunting Your CRM

written by

Jim Mucci

posted on

June 3, 2024

data quality impacts crm

Your customer list needs good data to help your business grow. Bad data can cost your company a lot of money – up to $15 million each year in missed sales. People move jobs and homes all the time. This means one in four of your customer details will be wrong within a year. Even when people type in data very well, small mistakes still happen. The data gets worse over time, with about 2% going bad each month. This leads to lost time and wrong sales guesses. While computers can catch most typing mistakes, you need a good plan to keep your data clean and useful.

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The True Cost of CRM

understanding crm expenses accurately

Getting a CRM system is like buying a new car – there are many costs to think about. The basic cost starts at $1,500 each year. Big companies pay more, up to $36,000 yearly. Some pay $300 for each person who uses it.

Before you can even start, you need $10,000 to $20,000 to set it up. Think of it as getting your car ready for the road.

Just like a car needs gas and oil changes, your CRM needs care too. You must:

  • Keep it running well
  • Make sure all info is correct
  • Train people to use it right

These costs might seem big at first. But you can start small and grow step by step.

Work with CRM helpers who know what they're doing. Set clear goals to see if it's helping your business. This way, you know your money is well spent.

Data Decay Never Sleeps

Your customer list gets outdated fast. Every year, about 1 in 4 contacts become wrong. This means you could lose sales when you can't reach people.

It happens because folks switch jobs, move to new places, or someone types in wrong details. To fix this, you need to check your data often.

Use simple tools that clean up bad contacts. Think of it like keeping your room tidy – you have to do it all the time to stay on top of the mess.

Time Erodes Contact Lists

Your contact lists get worse over time. Just like how old food goes bad, your business contacts can get stale too.

Each month, about 2 out of 100 contacts become wrong. After a year, 1 in 4 contacts won't work anymore.

Here's what happens to your contacts:

  • People get new jobs
  • Companies move or close
  • Old email accounts stop working
  • Phone numbers change

When you don't fix these problems, your team wastes time. They call numbers that don't work. They send emails that no one reads.

This hurts your business in many ways:

  • You miss chances to make sales
  • You waste money
  • You look bad to customers

To help your business grow, keep your contact lists fresh and clean.

Silent Revenue Killer Revealed

Satellites in space grow bigger each year, as shown in lists.

Writers often show unfair views when writing about space in newspaper columns.

Combat Data Expiration Today

Your customer data gets old fast – about 2 out of 100 contacts go bad each month.

After a year, more than 20 out of 100 contacts are wrong. This means you waste time and money trying to reach people who aren't there anymore.

You can fix this! Here's what to do:

  1. Check all contacts every 3 months
  2. Set up tools that clean your data on their own
  3. Put all your contact info in one place
  4. Look at your data often to find and fix old info

When you keep your contact list clean, you can reach the right people and make more sales.

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Human Error Strikes Again

mistakes happen frequently again

Making mistakes is normal when we type things into our work computers. When we type wrong, it can mess up all our data.

If someone on our team types an address or name wrong, it makes double files and wrong info.

Looking over our work can help fix these mistakes, but it takes away from time we could spend helping customers.

Manual Entry Gone Wrong

When you type in customer data by hand, lots of mistakes can happen. Your team might get it right 96 out of 100 times. But computers can do it better – they get it right almost every time!

Think about what happens when people make mistakes:

  1. Your sales team spends over an hour each day typing in data instead of talking to customers.
  2. You make many more mistakes than a computer would.
  3. Your customer lists get messy with the same info written twice.
  4. You might send emails to the wrong people because the info is wrong.

These problems hurt your business. You lose money when your team can't spend time selling.

You also miss chances to help customers when their info is wrong.

Double-Checking Takes Time

We know checking things twice takes a lot of time. Your team has to look at every CRM note to make sure it's right. This takes away time from other work you need to do.

You have two choices. You can skip checking and make mistakes. Or you can check everything and use up lots of time. When you don't check your work, you miss chances to help customers. You also waste time fixing errors later.

But there's good news! Smart computer tools can help check your work as you type. These tools spot mistakes right away. They even give you tips to make your work better.

When you use these tools and train your team well, you won't need to check everything by hand.

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Bad Data Kills Sales

Bad Data Hurts Your Sales Team

Is your customer data wrong? It can hurt your sales and money. When people leave their jobs, you lose 8 out of 10 deals. Wrong data costs companies lots of money each year.

Your team needs good data to do well. Think about this:

  • 1 in 4 leads have wrong phone numbers or emails
  • Your sales team wastes time fixing bad data
  • You can't tell what sales you'll make next month
  • You miss chances to sell more to happy customers

While you work with bad data, other companies use good data to win more deals.

Your CRM's Hidden Time Thieves

crm inefficiencies stealing time

Your CRM system can waste your time in ways you may not see. When work is messy, social media pulls you away, or you rush to enter data late, your team can't work well.

Teams lose time when tasks aren't planned right. This makes mistakes happen more. It also means customers have to wait longer. Each year, companies lose lots of money when workers waste time.

You can fix this! Make a list of what's most important to do first. Let your computer do the simple jobs. Check your data often to make sure it's right.

When you save time, you make more money and keep customers happy.

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Breaking the Data Quality Curse

We all want our customer data to work well. Bad data hurts our sales team and wastes time. When data gets messy, it's hard to make good choices.

The big problems with data are:

  • Having the same info twice
  • Missing key details
  • Data that doesn't match up

You can fix these problems in simple ways:

  1. Let computers check new data right away
  2. Look at your data often to find and fix doubles
  3. Use tools to add missing info
  4. Make sure everyone puts in data the same way

When you keep your data clean, your team can do better work. They won't waste time fixing mistakes or looking for the right info.

Automation to the Rescue

automation solving complex problems

When you set up smart rules to check data as people type it in, your customer records get much better. These rules help catch mistakes before they happen. In fact, they stop 9 out of 10 errors that most companies face.

You can also connect your customer system to your other work tools. This means your sales team won't have to type things twice. All your systems will share the right info all the time, making everyone's job easier.

Smart Data Entry Rules

Data entry just got easier with smart rules that help you work better. Think of these rules as your helpers that catch mistakes and make your work faster.

When you use smart tools to enter data, you make fewer mistakes. These tools also help keep your records clean and correct.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Let your computer grab data from papers on its own
  2. Use tools that check if what you type is right
  3. Give everyone the same forms to fill out
  4. Make big changes to many records at once

These simple steps will help you work smarter, not harder. Your data will be better, and you'll spend less time fixing mistakes.

Eliminating Manual Tasks Forever

Manual tasks don't have to eat up your time anymore. CRM tools can do the boring work for you. Your team can focus on what matters while the software handles the small stuff.

Here's what CRM can do instead of you:

Old Way New Way
Typing in Data Forms Fill Up by Themselves
Sending Reminder Emails Emails Send on Their Own
Setting Up Meetings Calendar Does it For You
Picking Best Leads Computer Finds Them
Telling Customers What's New Updates Happen Right Away

Your sales team will sell more when they don't waste time on emails and paperwork. Teams work better when they can all see the same customer info. Plus, customers get faster, better help with fewer mistakes. When computers do the simple jobs, your business runs smoother and smarter.

Clean Data, Happy Sales Team

Your Sales Team Loves Clean Data

Bad data makes selling harder. Good data helps your team win more deals. Most companies have messy data in their systems. This hurts their work and makes them sad.

Clean data helps your team in four big ways:

  1. They spend less time fixing mistakes
  2. They can better guess future sales
  3. They talk to customers with the right info
  4. They find the best ways to sell using real facts

When your data is clean, your team can focus on what matters – helping customers and closing deals.

They smile more and work better when they trust their tools.

Mobile Solutions Matter

mobile solutions are essential

Sales teams love using CRM apps on their phones. These apps help them work better and get more done. Teams who use phone apps for sales work 15% faster than before.

When you meet with customers, you can add notes right away on your phone. This means fewer mistakes than when you try to remember things later. Your whole team can see the latest customer details right away.

Your phone becomes a helpful tool that connects to all your other devices. It lets you check customer info anytime, day or night. This makes it easier to help customers and sell more.

Beyond Basic Data Management

Making Your CRM Work Better

Your sales team needs good data to help customers. But keeping data clean takes work. Let's make it simple.

You need to:

  1. Keep your data clean and the same across all teams
  2. Connect your CRM to other tools you use
  3. Keep customer info safe with strong locks and rules
  4. Match what you track with what your business needs

When you do these things, your CRM becomes a smart tool that helps you grow.

Think of your CRM like a garden. You must water it, pull weeds, and care for it daily. When you do, it grows strong and gives you good results.

With clean data, your team can:

  • Find what they need fast
  • Help customers better
  • Make smarter choices
  • Grow sales

Take care of your data, and it will take care of your business.

Building a Data-First Culture

data driven organizational mindset shift

Let's make data part of how we work, just like using a phone or computer. It starts with leaders who look at facts before making choices.

Think of data like a toolbox that everyone can open and use.

We need to help each other learn how to use data. When people do a good job with data, we tell them "great work!" It's like learning a new game – at first it seems hard, but then it gets fun.

Some people mightn't want to change how they work. Show them how data makes work better and faster. Keep the data clean and neat, like keeping your desk tidy.

Check your work often to make sure the data stays good and true.

This isn't just about new rules. It's about seeing data as our friend who helps us make smart choices every day.

Tomorrow's CRM Success Starts Today

Let's Make Your CRM Work Better

Good data helps your CRM run well. You need to start with the right steps now to make it work great later.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Look at what you want to fix and make a plan
  2. Watch how your customers buy and make it easy for them
  3. Keep your data clean and in one place
  4. Use smart tools to help you make better choices

These basic steps will help you wow your customers and grow your business.

When you start with good data, your CRM can do more for you.

Conclusion

Bad data hurts your business. Your customer info gets old fast – most of it goes bad within one year. To keep it fresh, you need to check your data often. Clean it up when you spot mistakes. Make simple rules about how to add new info. Use phone apps to help your team enter data the right way. When you have good data, your business runs better and can grow more.

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