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Ask most companies if they have a database of customers and the answer is 'yes'. Ask how they use it and the answer becomes a little more vague. Reference will perhaps be made to someone else who looks after it?, or there might be a suggestion that they are mailed a couple of times a year?.

The notion of analysing customers and potential customers to find out exactly who is most likely to buy from you is rarely found. The idea of splitting databases into two sections (those who have bought in the last year and those who haven't, for example) and then sending them completely different promotions is even more unusual.

Yet techniques such as these are not complex to implement, and once in place will have a huge impact on your marketing costs. Promotions will shrink in size (thus cutting print and postage bills) while turnover remains the same, and profit rises. Customers stay with you longer the number drifting away to rival firms declines dramatically.

And all due to the way the databases are handled.

'The Filtered Database Technique: Cutting your marketing costs in half' is written by Tony Attwood, of Hamilton House Mailings plc

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