It’s that buzzword again that we’re sure you’ve heard at least a hundred times. As you all (should) know, GDPR is coming into effect very soon; on the 25th of May 2018 in fact.
With only a few weeks to go until one of the biggest updates to data protection in the EU to date, every business is frantically trying to ensure that their databases are compliant with the new regulations.
which entails getting in touch with their customer base that they have contact information for and asking them to confirm that they are happy for said business to keep their data on file. GDPR and cold calling might have a difficult relationship going forward – will this be the end of cold calling?
But don’t worry, you can still get your free birthday cookie from Subway if you accept the new terms and conditions.
GDPR and Cold Calling: What’s Next?
GDPR doesn’t just affect digital marketers with thousands of customers’ details on file – it is going to have a profound effect on call centres and cold calling as well.
Why? Because GDPR gives people the option to access the data a company has on them without needing to pay a charge, as well as allowing them to delete all personal data without delay, including recorded phone calls.
In order to avoid fines of up to €20 million, it’s important to be able to show that you are being compliant with the new regulations. Now, for those of us who have been preparing for GDPR for a while now, we’re already putting things into motion to make sure that we’re compliant, but for those in the likes of call centres, it may be a very tight turnaround to ensure that all criteria for GDPR legislation are met.
Call Centres Need to Justify Recording When Calling Customers
Do you really need to record your conversation with a client? Is it necessary? While many call centres around the world will alert the caller to the potential for the call to be recorded for training purposes, this isn’t going to fly with GDPR. That excuse just simply won’t work.
If you really really need to record the calls you have with your clients, your business must meet and provide evidence of one of the following criteria:
- The people on the line have given their consent to be recorded
- A contract requires recording takes place in order to fulfil it.
- Sometimes, recording can be a legal requirement and must be stated as such.
- Protect the interests of participants in the call
- It is in the public’s interest, or necessary for the use by an official authority
- That the recording taking place is of legitimate interest to the recorder or is overridden by the interests of the call participant.
But… Do You Really Need Cold Callers?
As marketing has evolved, and more people are spending time on the internet and emailing rather than talking to real people on the phone, it’s understandable that cold calling seems to be suffering a slump – much to the delight of the general public.
In fact, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Email remained the most common internet activity, with 82% of adults reporting that sending or receiving emails was what they spend most of their time doing.
As so many people are opting to use the internet to connect and converse with other people and brands, is it time cold calling called it a day?
Well, we don’t want to toot our own horn (much), but it is far easier for us to prove that we are GDPR compliant than a call centre – and far quicker at removing your details should you wish to stop receiving communication for us!
But, How Can You Help with Building Leads?
We’re as far from being a cold caller as you can get, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t help you generate those leads which are essential for the success of your business. In fact, we bet that our lead generation can produce more reliable, high-quality leads than any cold calling service could.
You see, we have a team of online lead generation specialists who are always spot on with persona targeting and qualifying those leads. Our average conversion rate for inbound leads is 30%… fairly, impressive, huh?
It’s as simple as connect, engage, convert and grow – that’s how our lead gen flow goes, and all your leads will be exclusive to you and your company… we don’t sell leads to any other clients!
We’ve only just touched the surface here in this blog, but should you want to find out why we’re the best solution for lead gen following the implementation of GDPR and the fall of the call centre, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!
