Organize information into a workable format to allow mailing list manipulations and sorting. The next step is organizing your collected information into a format that allows for manipulation of the different pieces of information you mailing list have available. Typically, MS Excel is the most commonly used program for this task. Excel allows you to put information in rows and columns mailing list that can be sorted or arranged by name, address, city, state, etc. Arranging your information into a workable spreadsheet will be important for the hygiene and append processes. Plus it allows you to get an idea of how mailing list large your database really is. You can also take the time to remove any duplicate customer records you may have input and also allows you to identify any information you may already have on some customers that you would like to have for all customers. Key code your database. Key coding current mailing list customers, inactive customers, and prospects allows for tracking the results for certain products, customer purchasing patterns you would like to keep identified after the hygiene process. It is also useful when uploading your mailing list completely cleaned and appended database into a client management program to keep current customers separate from prospects and inactive customers. Perform data hygiene on your database. Data mailing list hygiene is a process of cleaning your database of old outdated information, correcting and filling mailing list in any missing or incorrect information, and verifying current names and addresses. This will help keep the cost down by removing all bad records from your database.