How GDPR is forcing Sales to go the Marketing way?

The international marketing paradigms are shifting and they’re shifting fast. How?

The answer is GDPR. It’s a law passed and came ineffect recently against privacy infringement. Let us first understand, what GDPR is. Well, GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is a Data Protection and privacy Law Enforcement Directive which covers all individuals from the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). This law protects all data of EU citizens both home or abroad by companies both home or abroad.

Those infringing this privacy law can face a penalty up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover – whichever is greater.

So what does it mean for the marketeers? It means: EU citizens are out of bound for any reachout till you / sender have ‘explicit consent’ to do so.

The GDPR Law defines Personal data as

“Personal data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable living individual. In fact even different data set collected together and can lead to the identification of a particular person, also constitute personal data.”

This includes the following:

• Name
• Address
• Email - Personal and Work
• Card Number
• location data
• IP address
• Advertising id on your mobile
• Medical records

Myths and Facts:

Myth -- Its for companies in EU.

Fact: Its for companies across the globe dealing with Data of EU citizens. Irrespective of where your company is based across the globe, if you even have one person’s data from EU, you are liable to comply with GDPR.

Myth -- GDPR will make life difficult for sales teams.

Fact: The GDPR helps sales team to focus on quality than quantity. It asks sales to focus on more professional and through methods of prospecting. By focusing on correct mediums of prospecting, the sales teams can make better utilisation of resources then a big list and low conversions.

Myth -- You cannot buy data / leads

Fact: You are free to buy data but the provider needs to provide consent signed from the people on the list for this purpose.

Myth -- Software can handle the GDPR compliance

Fact: If the company is dealing with any data related to EU citizens, they need to have supporting structure like Data protection officer and well defined policies of data store and disposal.

So what Changes with GDPR

1. Data collection and Processing: The GDPR makes it mandatory to collect permission from the contact list you have and the purpose for which you have that data in your company. If someone is signing up for a newsletter doesn't mean that you can send him a sales email till he has explicitly asked for it. You also need to inform them about what they have given you their data and if not expressed right away, you have 30 days to do so. The person has right to request you to remove him from your system and you have to remove him righway.
2. Right to forget: The contacts on you list also have rights to be forgotten. Means that once he request you to be removed from the list, you have to take him off for all future emails not on a particular campaign.
3. The Inward leads are taking the centerstage: GDPR is putting the inward leads flow in the driver seat of sales funnel. Since the outbound is restrictive, the sales teams have to reply more on inward leads to nurture and create leads.
4. Content drives the prospects: Online leads are driven the prospecting stage and that starts with domain authority establishing. To establish domain authority, content plays a critical role. The companies need to put more informed and researched content online which serves as the bait to contact the company. This also takes out inquiries from actual leads from the sales funnel.
5. Social selling: social selling is permitted in GDPR as its taken as implicit permission to be contacted by the receiver. You should always try to reason to connect in the add request. Try to use this medium judiciously as no one in ur social network will also accept being spamed.
6. Purchased Leads: Paid leads are not allowed in GDPR till it's explicitly agreed to be contacted by the contact to the provider and you have documented proof of the same. You need to be double sure before using any such activities.
7. Cold Calling: Cold calling is allowed in GDPR. Yes you read it right. Cold calling is allowed till you are calling the published numbers and not personal number. So, when on a call with a prospect, ask them if they would like to receive newsletters. If the answer is yes, you can send them a link to a “manage my subscriptions” page where they can choose specific news, content and updates.
8. Marketing and Networking Events: Exchanging cards on events are a common practice and events is a great place to meet new customers. Traditionally,it meant an implicit consent to be contacted after event. With GDPR unless you have their consent and they have opted-in to receive marketing emails, you cannot send them emails for pitching offerings. If the event visitor have expressed interest and you have confidence, so he will mail you on himself. OR if you contact and he is your best judge, he will not report you for connecting.

Conclusion: How changes are driving the sales towards marketing?

Emails and calls are typically used as most common mediums to prospect and make a funnel. Rather than selling to new prospects that are not in the market to buy, GDPR forces you to focus on building relationships and selling to people who want to hear from you making sales efforts more focussed and directed. GDPR helps you focus on quality prospects over a quantity of prospects – so it should make your job easier in the long-term.

With GDPR calling a sudden end to emails and calls have limitations, alternative mediums are picking up. On the other end, marketing is moving from traditional mediums to technology driven activities which is helping companies to be in front of the prospects on various mediums where their prospects are looking for information. This is leading to sales looking up to marketing for mediums like digital, events, activations to grab the attention of prospects. If you notice closely the points above, where GDPR have some relaxation are marketing domains or are marketing driven. So you can safely GDPR is putting marketing in driver seat.

Up Next: How GDPR affect lead capture?

Disclaimer: This article is not a legal advice. Please take help of a qualified legal exert to make your business and website GDPR compliant.