{"id":2385,"date":"2022-09-07T18:10:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T12:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.only-b2b.com\/blog\/?p=2385"},"modified":"2025-04-10T11:56:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T06:26:30","slug":"preventing-data-decay-in-b2b-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.only-b2b.com\/blog\/preventing-data-decay-in-b2b-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Preventing Data Decay in B2B Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The role of data is changing along with the digital future of B2B sales. The increasing push toward digital transformation, say 72%<\/span><\/u><\/a> of company leaders, has rendered organizations more dependent than ever on data when making critical business choices. In addition, 32%<\/span><\/u><\/a> of respondents believe their data is erroneous, and 55%<\/span><\/u><\/a> of respondents indicate they don’t trust their data assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businesses-to-business (B2B) organizations must regularly update and correctly preserve data assets to stop data deterioration in order to meet the growing need for data-driven choices. However, a vast majority of firms still lack the ability to secure their data hygiene, which has a negative impact on their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By squandering team resources ineffectively, losing clients and credibility, using inaccurate data might result in fewer transactions being closed and less money being made. Incorrect data alone causes B2B businesses in the United States to lose $3.1 trillion<\/span><\/u><\/a> in revenue annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businesses need to learn how to preserve data quality and stop rapid data decay, which is frequently the cause of many business problems, in order to securely transition to the digital era and keep up with the enormous amount of information available out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must Read:<\/span> <\/strong>Building the Best Path for B2B Sales Using the Buyer\u2019s Journey<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Decay: What Is It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Data decay is the process through which the accuracy of your B2B database degrades over time as a result of containing obsolete, incomplete, or inaccurate info. Unfortunately, data deterioration cannot be prevented, especially when static data is used in sales. Your data need ongoing care and maintenance in order to stay current. Your team will need to invest both time and money into this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Does Data Decay Occur?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Data deterioration can happen for a number of causes, including software bugs, human error, or the inability to keep up with the flow of information that is always expanding. B2B data deteriorates on average at a monthly pace of 2.1%<\/u><\/a>. A number of variables, such as the sector you work in (high-tech is especially vulnerable), the customer demographic you are aiming for, the region where you operate, etc., may have an impact on your company’s data decay rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unanticipated data decay rates are caused by a variety of factors as well. Dun & Bradstreet<\/span><\/u><\/a> estimates that every half hour, 120 corporate addresses, 75 phone numbers, 20 CEOs change positions, and 30 new start-ups are established. Imagine manually updating this data-point every thirty minutes during your workday. Read this insightful article about virtual prospecting and intent data<\/mark><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Why<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every 30 Mins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

120 Companies move to a different address<\/p>\n\n\n\n

75 phone numbers change<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 CEOs leave their job<\/p>\n\n\n\n

30 new startups are launched<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These factors are the reason why B2B Data lists decay between 22% to 30% every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Dun & Bradstreet<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous bits of information, such as altered names, job descriptions, phone numbers, email addresses, etc., have an impact on your database every day. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to stop data decay, despite the fact that it may seem hard to follow all the irregular changes and ensure the quality of your data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must Read: <\/span>Sales Cadence Best Practices: Why You Should Always Dial First<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prevent Data Decay in B2B Sales:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Data deterioration is an ongoing process that is difficult to stop. There are ways to slow things down, though. Here are the top seven suggestions for maintaining optimized and current data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Keep your CRM Software Operating Effectively.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best source of pertinent data for creating and keeping your data-set is customer relationship management (CRM) technologies. They save your sales and marketing teams time by tracking and evaluating the sales pipeline and storing all interactions with all leads, prospects<\/span><\/a>, and clients you have ever engaged. They coordinate automated email distribution as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CRMs are one of the best ways to maximize your data and maintain constant control over your sales activity because of all these benefits. However, make sure you abide by these three guidelines to establish a CRM system in your business successfully and prevent data decay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must Read:<\/span> <\/strong>B2B Sales Dynamics: Leads, Prospects, and Opportunities<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect your CRM System to Additional Data Solutions: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To gather as much information as possible, ensure that both marketing and sales use the same system and synchronize all the data sources in one location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check CRM Data: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Use firewalls to ensure the accuracy of your data and make sure it is validated as it is entered into your CRM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Segmentation: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you have numerous ideal customer profiles (ICPs), work in multiple marketplaces, or sell a variety of items, categorizing the critical data can help you improve the sales cycle and more effectively manage data quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must Read: <\/mark><\/strong>What is intent data in lead generation?<\/mark><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Email Validation Software Tools to Confirm Emails.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

87%<\/span><\/u>\u00a0of B2B marketers use email as their primary prospecting medium for outreach. Additionally, email marketing databases age naturally by roughly 22.5%<\/span><\/u><\/a>\u00a0annually, which raises email bounce rates and lowers conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to maintain a constant email deliverability rate, your data must be updated if your email bounce rate is high. If your emails never get to their inboxes, what use is it to have large lead<\/span><\/a> lists?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utilizing email verification software is one of the most efficient ways to solve this difficulty and purge your list of invalid and inactive email addresses. These tools make sure that the recipient’s email is authentic and that your message can be delivered securely by running a number of checks. In addition, they look into the email address, server, and domain name to avoid technical issues and spam folders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Maintain a Verified Opt-In.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Implementing opt-in confirmation is another strategy for preventing email data deterioration. It is used to verify that your subscribers filled out the registration form completely and correctly entered their email address. A confirmation email will be sent to the new user after they have completed their information to complete the sign-up process with proper information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This simple function prevents inaccurate data entry and only accepts subscribers that consciously follow your website’s news list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Establish a Data Hygiene Strategy.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most obvious strategy to maintain your database<\/span><\/a> current and updated is to include regular data hygiene checks as part of a routine. This procedure entails:<\/p>\n\n\n\n