Sales and marketing after GDPR: Love your leads

Apparently, relationships shouldn’t be taken too seriously unles

Apparently, relationships shouldn’t be taken too seriously unless they've passed the three month mark, according to an article I read recently. Only then do you really know the other person. So, let’s consider marketing after GDPR in the same light. GDPR is just three months away, and you're heading towards the start of a bunch of new customer relationships. Are you ready to win their hearts, or will they be ditching you as soon as possible?

Time to prepare for sales and marketing after GDPR
I previously wrote a pretty daunting blog about how robots are coming for our jobs. With unmissable accuracy, I explained it is not a SKYNET apocalypse we should be worried about, but machines motivated to put us all out of work. That’s what should really be keeping us awake at night.

Before that happens however, sales and marketing companies alike will be left destitute and abandoned in the cold harsh reality of a world where, for some ridiculous reason, people cannot be spoken to unless they want to hear from you... absurd I know.

I am of course talking about the world of sales and marketing after GDPR. Come May, the sun will set on an outdated industry and rise on the homeowner no longer apprehensively answering the phone, telling Gareth from their local Delhi call centre that no they haven’t been in a crash in the last 18 months. There will be no more unknown numbers coming through your mobile asking about PPI, or emails you definitely didn’t sign up to asing if your life insurance is working for you.

This change could mean hard times for some businesses. I would, however, like to think of myself as an optimist. There is in fact a way for you to use this situation to your advantage. Get the very best out of your current contact list now, and make sure that when the time comes you aren’t racking up any hefty fines.

Sales and marketing after GDPR: Love your leads

Four simple steps to a healthy (lead) relationship
First off, you need to know you actually have a relationship with your lead, and you're not just stalking them. Do they want you to have their number and email? Shouldn’t they be worried you got their details from a dodgy third party pal, who is always trying to set people up.

Second, check that you are both getting something from this relationship. You obviously want to contact them, but check that they are happy for you to do so. While you get the chance to promote yourself to a potential customer, what they get in return is hopefully helpful or interesting content. The onus is on you to keep them interested here, so don't get too clingy and definitely don't be boring!

Thirdly, you're going to want to try and gauge whether this is going somewhere, and whether you have a future together or not. If your regular contact is a newsletter, make it more specific and wear your heart on your sleeve. You can do this in email form by including a prominent call to action as the focus of your content. Get to the point and ask those difficult questions. "Where is this going, what are we?"

Finally, if it does come to an unfortunate break up and and you part ways with a lead, give them all their stuff back. No holding on to a T-shirt just in case, no cataloguing a mobile number for the distant future, and definitely no selling on their personal data!

In conclusion, sales and marketing after GDPR doesn't have to look like a post-apocalyptic horror film. Follow our four simple steps to keep your leads sweet and spread the love.

s they've passed the three month mark, according to an article I read recently. Only then do you really know the other person. So, let’s consider marketing after GDPR in the same light. GDPR is just three months away, and you're heading towards the start of a bunch of new customer relationships. Are you ready to win their hearts, or will they be ditching you as soon as possible?

Time to prepare for sales and marketing after GDPR
I previously wrote a pretty daunting blog about how robots are coming for our jobs. With unmissable accuracy, I explained it is not a SKYNET apocalypse we should be worried about, but machines motivated to put us all out of work. That’s what should really be keeping us awake at night.

Before that happens however, sales and marketing companies alike will be left destitute and abandoned in the cold harsh reality of a world where, for some ridiculous reason, people cannot be spoken to unless they want to hear from you... absurd I know.

I am of course talking about the world of sales and marketing after GDPR. Come May, the sun will set on an outdated industry and rise on the homeowner no longer apprehensively answering the phone, telling Gareth from their local Delhi call centre that no they haven’t been in a crash in the last 18 months. There will be no more unknown numbers coming through your mobile asking about PPI, or emails you definitely didn’t sign up to asing if your life insurance is working for you.

This change could mean hard times for some businesses. I would, however, like to think of myself as an optimist. There is in fact a way for you to use this situation to your advantage. Get the very best out of your current contact list now, and make sure that when the time comes you aren’t racking up any hefty fines.



Sales and marketing after GDPR: Love your leads


Four simple steps to a healthy (lead) relationship
First off, you need to know you actually have a relationship with your lead, and you're not just stalking them. Do they want you to have their number and email? Shouldn’t they be worried you got their details from a dodgy third party pal, who is always trying to set people up.

Second, check that you are both getting something from this relationship. You obviously want to contact them, but check that they are happy for you to do so. While you get the chance to promote yourself to a potential customer, what they get in return is hopefully helpful or interesting content. The onus is on you to keep them interested here, so don't get too clingy and definitely don't be boring!

Thirdly, you're going to want to try and gauge whether this is going somewhere, and whether you have a future together or not. If your regular contact is a newsletter, make it more specific and wear your heart on your sleeve. You can do this in email form by including a prominent call to action as the focus of your content. Get to the point and ask those difficult questions. "Where is this going, what are we?"

Finally, if it does come to an unfortunate break up and and you part ways with a lead, give them all their stuff back. No holding on to a T-shirt just in case, no cataloguing a mobile number for the distant future, and definitely no selling on their personal data!

In conclusion, sales and marketing after GDPR doesn't have to look like a post-apocalyptic horror film. Follow our four simple steps to keep your leads sweet and spread the love.