All too often people measure the rigour of their sales and marketing efforts by the number of records on their CRM system and how many pieces they mail out, whereas my experience has been that it's quality versus quantity that counts - especially when our labour-saving systems enable yet another email at the touch of very few buttons. In fact the ease of today's technology can often drive 'communications' that are hurriedly constructed when a calendar reminder arrives in the administrator's inbox!

Take the opportunity for an honest look at the list to whom you regularly send mail shots, invitations, news items and product updates. Could you generate a better return through a more laser-like approach, targeting only those organisations with whom you'd really like to do business?

There are no hard and fast rules for what your segregation criteria might be, but a more in-depth approach to a smaller number of targets rather than a 'scattergun', database-wide effort should ensure that you're able to hone in on the real value you can deliver, then build a communication series that develops those messages, so encouraging a two-way dialogue aimed at generating better results.

Instinctively it seems like a harsh strategy - there's always some nervousness when taking the risk that less will deliver more - but experience tells me it really is the best approach.