Once you know, what will you do?
I've yet to meet a client who didn't require, in some form or another, some way to analyze their data. Whether it was simple queries or reports, or more advanced dashboards or analytics, everyone wants to be able to analyze their data.
And that's a good thing.
But the first question that should be asked whenever we decide to analyze any data is "Once we've analyzed the data, what next action will we take as a result of that analysis?"
Or put more simply, "Once you know, what will you do?"
"That's interesting" or "It would be good to know" are not actions. "Let's try a different marketing message" or "Let's change the price on that" or "Let's stop doing that" are actions. Even "That's working, let's keep doing what we're doing" is an action!
So before you spend a lot of time and energy analyzing any data, ask yourself, "Once I know, what will I do?"
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
The three “buckets” of contact data
The three “buckets” of contact data Broadly speaking, when collecting data on contacts (individuals or organizations), […]
Balancing what is possible with what is realistic
Balancing what is possible with what is realistic When I work with clients on technology […]
“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.”
“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” “Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” – […]
Data managers vs data consumers
Data managers vs data consumers When I work with clients on any data management project, […]
Another universal truth
Another universal truth There are many universal truths in data management. Some examples: You will […]
Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair!
Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair! I’m taking a break from my weekly tips […]
Just start. And it’s never done.
Just start. And it’s never done. Last week I had the opportunity to lead a […]
Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer!
Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer! In the past week, on three different […]
Seek forgiveness rather than permission
Seek forgiveness rather than permission “Seek forgiveness, not permission.” I can’t remember when I first […]
Is a 360 degree view necessary?
Is a 360 degree view necessary? “A 360 degree view of our members should NOT […]
