A Guide To Buying Manufacturing Data Lists

Manufacturing companies require a whole host of products and services to operate. This makes them an ideal target market for any business with a B2B sales stream. It also means, however, that there is plenty of competition when it comes to mining business from the industry.

A quality data list will allow you to directly converse with the right people in the right companies, giving you the upper hand on your competitors. But how do you ensure the data you buy is reliable? Here are five simple steps:

1. Decide who you want to talk to

While you already know the sector that you are targeting, you will need to be a bit more specific than that if you want to get the most out of your data list.

Think of things like locations, size, turnover and what department of the company you want to speak to. The more you can specify, the better your list will be.

2. Buy only what you are able to use

Work out before you order your list exactly how many companies you can realistically contact in this campaign.

A few hundred thousand names and numbers might make you feel connected, but unless you have the available manpower and man-hours to make use of them all, many could well go stale. Remember, every day you do not use data, the higher the risk it will be out of date when you do.

3. Know the difference between single use and multiple use

If you are purchasing your information under a licensing agreement, there are, generally, two distinct types you can buy: single use and multiple use.

As you probably guessed, the former can only be contacted once, while the latter can be re-contacted as many times as you like until your agreement expires. Single use data is going to be the cheaper option, though ask yourself: will this offer the market penetration required for a successful campaign?

4. Ensure any data you buy is clean

How ‘clean’ data is depends on how recently it has been updated. A good data list will, generally, be updated at least once every six months.

It is not always possible to ensure every contact you get is up to date – after all, people come and go all the time – but the more regularly your provider cleans their data, the better.

5. Use a business data provider known for its manufacturing industry contacts

Of course, the most important step of all is to use a business data provider that is known for delivering clean, dependable information from the manufacturing industry.

Of all the UK companies, none can offer the same level of service as UK Business Data. We have over 2.5 million business records and over three million business contacts, and place over 160,000 validation calls per month to ensure our records stay clean. We also have long held ties to the manufacturing industry, particularly in the steelwork, CNC and milling sectors.

If you are looking to get in touch with the manufacturing sector, be sure to take our five steps to success when purchasing your data list. A strong record of contacts from a company like UK Business Data will give your campaign the direct, targeted focus it needs for success.