Even for seasoned marketers, obtaining and maintaining clean data for sales enablement can be a challenging task due to several obstacles.

One of the main challenges I’ve encountered is the sheer volume organizations have to deal with.

With the increasing amount of customer information being collected from various sources, such as websites, social media, and customer interactions, it becomes difficult to ensure the accuracy and cleanliness of the data.

Buying a list? You’ll have a much higher chance of errors, duplicates, and inconsistencies, making it harder to rely on the data for any meaningful sales efforts.

As a Marketer, your main goal is to ensure that all relevant datasets are accurate and consistent across all systems. Without proper data hygiene processes in place, organizations run the risk of making decisions based on inaccurate or outdated information, which can be costly and damaging to the business.

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Another challenge is the quality of the data itself. 

Often key contact data will become outdated or incomplete over time, especially in fast-paced industries where customer information changes frequently. For example, contact details like email addresses or phone numbers in high-turnover roles may change, rendering the data useless for targeted sales purposes. 

Moreover, human error is a factor during data entry or data migration processes. These quality issues can hinder the effectiveness of revenue driving efforts as inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to wasted time and resources, and even damage the reputation of your organization.

Data integration is yet another obstacle in obtaining and maintaining clean data for sales purposes.

Many organizations I have assisted operate within multiple systems and databases that store prospect and customer information, from CRM systems to marketing automation platforms and ERPs. 

These systems are typically not seamlessly integrated, leading to data silos and inconsistencies.

For example, a customer’s purchase history may not be accurately reflected in the CRM system, making it difficult for sales teams to have a complete view of the customer journey, and tailor their sales efforts accordingly. Integrating and synchronizing data from different systems can be complex and time-consuming, requiring technical expertise and resources.

Bottom line, obtaining and maintaining clean data for sales purposes is not without its challenges.

The volume and quality of data, data integration complexities, data privacy, compliance regulations, and the dynamic nature of indivdual and company data all contribute to the obstacles faced by Marketers.

Overcoming these challenges requires a combination of accepting there are no entirely ‘clean’ datasets, perfect technological solutions, or data governance practices.

However, with ongoing diligence your organization can strive towards data accuracy, completeness, and compliance which serves Marketers, Sales Teams and ultimately profit.