Beware, the 9 Deadly Mistakes of Database Marketing

A basic strategy rule, Hughes said, is to put yourself in your customers’ shoes.

Mistake #2: Focus on price instead of service. Database marketing builds loyalty; discounts do not.

Hughes recommends marketers not use their databases to promote price discounts because customers today seek more than low prices. They want recognition, service, information, convenience and helpfulness. “You can deliver this if you build a database and offer these things to them,” he said.