Creating, maintaining and using a database of customers is of utmost importance in direct sales and marketing. Every company grows of course by acquiring new customers by going after them and winning them over. But at the same time, it's rather easier and of course more economical too to make further sale to existing customers. That's why a database holds much relevance. Creating a database incurs a lot of careful and analytic study and compilation work as well. It's not just getting the names and addresses of regular customers and putting them down in order. Lots of more useful information can be gathered about the customers, like:

• Their ordering pattern including the frequency in which they order for things and the way they like to put their orders.
• Their likes and interests, which includes the kind of products they prefer and the kind of benefits they look forward to in a product.
• Their life-pattern, their social and economic status and hobbies. All this gets reflected in their way of choosing products and companies.
• Their peer groups. It should be remembered that peer groups have a considerable influence on buyers and their preferences and hence this has to be monitored.
• Their contacts and friends circle, which can be used to get to more number of potential customers.

These and many more information so gathered could help a direct sales and marketing company make the most of its marketing campaigns. It's not just making a database that matters. The database should be carefully maintained and regularly updated, as and when you get new information. Making full and effective use of a database thus created also matters in direct sales and marketing. It should be remembered that the database that's at the disposal of any sales-marketing company has to be used with utmost discretion, keeping with the law of the land.