First things – first.What do we mean by a CLEAN list?Answer? By ‘clean’ list we mean – a targeted list of prospects where any names/buildings that do not belong on the list any longer have been removed…and ALL important contact info for active prospects who still belong on the list – has been confirmed as correct.Sounds easy – it’s not.But while it’s not easy, it is important…. because all hope of actually being effective in producing the desired outcome – a LEAD, goes ‘out the window’ pretty quickly –when you marketing message ISN’T getting to the right person!Doesn’t matter whether it’s the contact name or the address that’s wrong – if it is keeping your marketing piece from getting into the hands of the decision maker…you’re ‘dead in the water’!So, it’s pretty clear, it’s critical to have up to date contact information for each of our prospective buildings.What’s not so clear is:1) how often it needs to be updated, and2) the best way to do it.Here are a couple things to keep in mind…The answer of course, like many things, is there is no one size fits all, an answer that’s always ‘right’ for every cleaning business owner to follow.But, here are a few suggestions…With as many changes in personnel that occur each year in companies today, it’s not unreasonable to consider confirming contact information annually.That doesn’t mean each company has to be contacted.Sitting down once a year to see if you or someone in your office can quickly confirm the contact info for each building on the list can significantly reduce the number of places that need to be called.And, that’s a good thing.And, of those companies where you and your team aren’t sure if the contact info has changed, time spent calling those places to get all the details correct/current – can be time well spent.(See prior posts on S.M.A.R.T calls; hint, it’s a strategy for quickly and easily identifying key contact info)Moving forward from there – knowing with a high level of confidence your contact information – is one of the best ways to make your marketing efforts EFFECTIVE in terms of both cost and results.You Can Do This, You Really Can,Dan