GDPR Cold Email: 5 Key Principles on How To Comply And Increase Conversions

If you're in sales, then you know that prospecting is an important part of the job. But with GDPR coming into effect, things are changing. We'll take a look at how to write GDPR cold email and how GDPR will affect sales prospecting and what companies will need to do to adapt.

[toc]

What Is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new EU data protection law that came into effect on May 25, 2018. The GDPR replaces the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive. It strengthens EU data protection rules by giving individuals more control over their personal data, and establishing new rights for individuals.

GDPR applies to any company that processes the personal data of EU citizens, regardless of where the company is located. This includes companies based outside of the EU that offer goods or services to EU citizens, or that collect or process the personal data of EU citizens.

Under GDPR, all companies must get explicit consent from individuals before collecting, using, or sharing their personal data. Companies must also provide individuals with clear and concise information about their rights under GDPR, and ensure that individuals can easily exercise their rights.

GDPR imposes significant fines for companies that violate the law, including up to 4% of a company’s global annual revenue or €20 million (whichever is greater), whichever is greater. The GDPR also gives individuals the right to file a complaint with the supervisory authority if they believe their rights have been violated.

Why Was GDPR created?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was created in response to the EU’s recognition of the importance of data protection and privacy.

The regulation was designed to give individuals more control over their personal data, while also establishing new rights for individuals. GDPR also strengthens the EU’s rules on data protection.

Under GDPR, all companies that process the personal data of EU citizens must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). The DPO is responsible for ensuring that the company complies with GDPR. Companies must also notify individuals about their right to access their personal data and request that it be deleted.

GDPR applies to any company that processes or intends to process the personal data of EU citizens, regardless of whether the company is based inside or outside the EU. This includes companies that collect, store, use, or share personal data.

There are a few key principles that underlie GDPR:

- Transparency: Companies must be transparent about their data processing activities. They must provide clear and concise information to individuals about their rights under GDPR.

- Accountability: Companies must be able to demonstrate their compliance with GDPR. They must keep records of their data processing activities and appoint a DPO if required by GDPR.

- Data minimization: Companies must only collect and process the personal data that is necessary for the purposes for which it is being collected. They cannot collect or process more data than is necessary.

- Data accuracy: Companies must take steps to ensure that the personal data they process is accurate and up to date. They must also take steps to delete inaccurate or outdated data.

- Data security: Companies must take steps to protect the personal data they process from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or destruction. They must also ensure that individuals can access their personal data and exercise their rights under GDPR.

The GDPR imposes fines of up to EUR 20 million, or up to four percent of a company’s global annual revenue, whichever is greater, for violations of its provisions. 

These fines can be imposed for a variety of offenses, including failing to appoint a DPO, violating the principles of data minimization or data accuracy, or violating the rights of individuals.

The GDPR is a complex regulation, and companies should consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance. However, the benefits of GDPR – including increased control over personal data and new rights for individuals – make it worth the effort.

Will GDPR Affect Your Sales Team?

If you have a sales team, you're probably wondering how GDPR will affect them. After all, they rely on collecting personal data from leads and customers in order to do their job effectively.

Fortunately, GDPR doesn't mean the end of sales as we know it. However, there are some important changes that need to be made in order to comply with the new regulations.

Here are three things your sales team needs to know about GDPR:

First and foremost, GDPR requires that all companies get explicit consent from individuals before collecting, using, or sharing their personal data. This means that your sales team will need to change the way they collect information from leads and customers. 

They'll need to make sure they have a clear and concise explanation of why they're collecting the data, and they'll need to get explicit consent from the individual before doing so.

Secondly, GDPR requires that companies provide individuals with a way to access the personal data that's been collected about them. This means your sales team will need to be prepared to answer questions from leads and customers about the data they've collected. 

They'll also need to provide a way for individuals to request that their personal data be deleted or amended if necessary.

Finally, GDPR imposes strict new penalties for companies that violate the law, including fines of up to 20 million euros (approximately $24 million). 

This is a significant increase from the previous maximum fine of 500,000 euros (approximately $600,000). As a result, it's more important than ever for your sales team to be aware of the law and to make sure they're compliant.

If you have a sales team, GDPR will undoubtedly affect the way they do business. However, by making some simple changes, you can ensure that your team is compliant with the new regulations.

5 Simple Steps For Sending GDPR Cold Emails For B2B Companies

Sending GDPR cold emails to business contacts doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five simple steps for sending GDPR cold emails:

First, create a process for obtaining consent from your contacts. This means having a way for them to opt-in to receiving email communications from you. You can do this by including a checkbox on your website or sign-up form that they must check in order to give their consent.

Next, include a link in your emails that allows recipients to unsubscribe from your mailing list at any time. This ensures that they always have the option to stop receiving emails from you if they no longer want them.

Third, make sure that all of the personal data you collect from your contacts is securely stored. This includes their email addresses, names, and any other information you may have. Be sure to use a secure server and encryption to protect this data.

Fourth, give your contacts the ability to access the personal data you have collected about them. They should be able to request a copy of this data at any time, and you should provide it to them in a format that is easy to understand.

Finally, ensure that you delete all personal data when requested by a contact. This includes their email address, name, and any other information you may have about them. Once they have made this request, you should permanently remove their data from your systems.

By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your GDPR cold email campaigns are compliant. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you're doing everything possible to protect the personal data of your contacts. 

9 Simple Ways To Stay GDPR Compliant While Sending Cold Emails

If you’re in the process of sending cold emails, you might be wondering how you can stay compliant with GDPR. Here are a few simple things you can do:

Get explicit consent: Before adding someone to your email list, make sure you have their explicit consent. This means they should actively opt-in to receiving communications from you. You can’t assume that someone who gave you their business card or signed up for your newsletter wants to be on your email list.

Be clear about what they’re signing up for: When you do get someone’s consent to add them to your email list, be very clear about what they’re signing up for. 

Let them know how often you’ll be sending emails, what type of content they can expect to receive, and how they can opt-out if they change their mind.

Make it easy to unsubscribe: Speaking of opting out, make it easy for people to unsubscribe from your emails if they want to. Include an unsubscribe link in every email you send and process requests to unsubscribe quickly.

Provide a way to opt-out of tracking: Many email providers offer the ability to track whether or not someone opens and clicks on your emails. 

If you’re using this feature, make sure there’s a way for people to opt-out of being tracked. Again, this should be easy to do and clearly visible in your emails.

Use secure methods to collect data: If you’re collecting personal data from people, make sure you’re using secure methods. This means using SSL encryption for any forms on your website and ensuring that any third-party services you use are GDPR compliant.

Keep your data safe: Once you have people’s personal data, it’s your responsibility to keep it safe. This means storing it in a secure location and ensuring that only authorized people have access to it.

Destroy data when you no longer need it: Once you have the data you need, get rid of any unnecessary data. If someone asks you to delete their information from your records, do so in a timely manner.

Regularly update your privacy policy: Update privacy policy and terms of service agreement to reflect any changes in how you collect, use, and store data. Include links to these documents in your emails so people can easily find them. 

Give people the option to change their mind: Give them the option about what type of data they share with you and how they want you to use it. For example, if someone originally consented to receive marketing emails but now wants to only receive transactional emails, give them that option. 

following the GDPR can seem like a lot of work, but it’s important to protect your customers’ data. By taking a few simple steps, you can ensure that you’re compliant while still being able to send cold emails.

Conclusion

The most significant change that GDPR will bring about is the requirement for explicit consent from potential customers before their data can be used for marketing or sales purposes. 

This means that companies will need to be more transparent about how they plan to use someone's data. They'll also need to get consent from potential customers before they can add them to their mailing lists or contact them for sales purposes.

These changes are likely to make sales prospecting more difficult and time-consuming for companies. They'll need to invest more resources into gathering accurate data and getting consent from potential customers.

But at the end of the day, these changes should lead to a better experience for consumers, who will no longer have to worry about their data being used without their knowledge or consent.