You’ve probably heard the story before. It begins, “The study started with a client list….”

I can’t tell you how many times I had a client call and tell me that. The stories follow a pattern. The client says it’s a great list and you should be able to easily complete the study with it. Sounds great, right?

Here comes the plot twist. They forgot to tell you the list is 4 years old and hasn’t been touched since. Oh, and by the way, only 30% of the records have a phone or email address. Suddenly, easy street is filled with potholes.

This isn’t the end of the story, and it can have a happy ending. A sub-standard client list can be rescued with these investigative approaches and performance enhancements: Continue reading ““Hope for the best, prepare for the worst”: salvaging the client list” →