Intro: of money and time

The LeadRebel story began in 2019. At that time, we received a seed investment and were able to develop our product. We also put the money into many different marketing and sales channels. It was a trial-and-error strategy and boy did we make a lot of errors. There was a PR campaign that didn’t work. We tried three Google Ads agencies. We hired and fired salespeople. But at the same time, we took the first right steps that later boosted our growth. In doing so, we discovered some sources for free B2B leads.

In the first two years of our existence, we successfully burned the seed capital  and have had to “bootstrap”, means finance our growth with our revenue. And that completely changed the way we approach lead generation. Instead of buying the leads (e. g. via performance marketing), we must literally generate, create, find the leads. The small budget has made us disciplined and inventive.

It is important to understand that there are generally no free leads. You pay either with money or with time. We used to pay money for our leads, now we pay with our time.

In this article, I’m sharing our know-how with you, not for self-adulation (a little that too), but mostly in the hope that some of these strategies will lead you to our sign-up page and all the budget you save elsewhere flows to us .

Long story short: Here is our strategy for (almost) free B2B lead generation.

Not all leads are equal

In this article we write about “warm” or “quasi warm” leads! These are not to be confused with “cold” leads, where you only buy or procure the addresses. In this article, leads mean real prospective buyers or at least those who are highly likely to be interested in your services or products.

Generate free B2B leads with free traffic

By free traffic we mean traffic generated through search engine optimization and content marketing. There are two age-old but often overlooked tactics for generating outreach. I intentionally mentioned content marketing and SEO together. Without content, link building makes no sense and without links, content stays somewhere in the morgue of Google search.

For us, Google Ads is the second largest cost driver after salaries. Right from the start we invested quite a lot of money in Google Ads, and that was right at first because we didn’t have any other traffic. The ads campaigns are still running but are playing a smaller and smaller role – and “free” traffic a bigger and bigger one!

Most of our competitors invest heavily in Google Ads and other paid marketing channels, while we laboriously, step by step, improve our positioning in Google (and other search engines). And the result can be seen.

These are the impressions from our website in the last 16 months:

And this is the actual organic traffic since 2020:

We have marked the periods when, for various reasons, we did not engage in active content marketing and SEO.

We currently pay almost nothing for SEO and content marketing. We invest time in content and link building. Most of our leads now come from SEO and content marketing. Many leads come from countries where no marketing campaigns have been run at all.

The average Google positions of our top 10 keywords have improved from 12 at the end of 2021 to 3.6 as of November 2022. That means, on average, each of our top keywords is in the top 5 of Google results.

Free B2B leads through SEO and content marketing: our recommendations

We (and numerous other websites) have written a lot about search engine optimization and content marketing. You can find some suggestions here:

5 Simple SEO Techniques for Local Businesses

SEO And SEM | B2B Search Marketing or SEO For B2B Companies

B2B Marketing Trends You Can Count on 2022

Instead of explaining the basics, I’ll give you a few tips here:

• Content needs to be written regularly. Search engines love fresh content.
• Consciously write list articles, like, “10 best this…”, “20 helpful that…”. Even if it’s not always particularly informative. Such articles attract SEO staff from those companies who would like to be part of this list. In return, you get a backlink from their website, and you don’t have to do anything for it. So, a kind of inbound link building strategy.
• Use freelance platforms for low-cost copywriters and translators.
• You can build links manually (recommended) or buy them cheaply (but please be very careful and in small quantities, because the search engines are not stupid).
• Update your old articles and add new pieces of text.
• Don’t stop! Otherwise, your organic traffic will start to drop after 2 months at the latest.

Free B2B leads through SEO and content marketing: the bottom line

Search engine optimization is suitable as a medium and long-term strategy for lead generation. You need time and patience here and often almost no money. After the start of the activities, at least 3 months will pass before the first results can be seen. But then it goes uphill quickly – unless you stop producing content and setting links.

The cost of leads coming from SEO can vary greatly depending on whether you do the SEO and content yourself or outsource it. If you have the time and know-how to create good content and build the backlinks, then the leads that come this way cost nothing (or only your time).

Cheap B2B leads through email marketing

Email marketing is not part of our standard repertoire. Admittedly, we tried it on a small scale and the results were interesting, but legally it is a gray area. So, everyone should decide for themselves whether this method is suitable for inexpensive B2B lead generation.

For a long time, we thought that e-mail marketing was useless. But we were wrong. Even on the small scale that we’ve been running our campaigns on, we’ve found that this lead generation technique consistently delivers good leads.

There are countless tools for email marketing, we have already listed them. Many of these tools do not allow cold mailing at all, the most well-known example being Mailchimp. They not only delete the campaigns, even the entire accounts if they catch someone cold mailing. However, there are tools that have established themselves in the niche for cold mailing.

Email marketing: our approach

We used apollo.io ourselves. The tool costs $19 per month per person. We had one user account (so it stayed at 19 euros per month). The software enables a global search for suitable companies and contacts. There are tens of millions of entries – a real gold mine for B2B salespeople.

To make life difficult for the users and drive them into the higher subscriptions (these are then significantly more expensive than 19 euros/month 12), there is a nasty and notorious limitation in the industry: the selection option is limited to 25 entries per list (i.e., 25 companies or individuals). It all goes like this:

• You want to create a new email campaign.
• First, you need an email list.
• So you go to Apollo.io and look for appropriate contacts: e.g., country: Germany, industry: marketing, size: between 20 and 100 employees, position of the contact person: managing director, etc. There are many criteria, and the target group can be specified very precisely.
• Suppose you are now presented with a list of 3000 people whom you would like to write to.
• And now comes the limitation: you can only select 25 people at a time and add them to the mailing campaign (at Apollo they call it sequences). Mean, right? 
• 3000 divided by 25 = 120, so you need to check 120 times on the selection and add the selection of the sequences.
• But we are stingy and have time! So that’s exactly what we do. After half an hour you’re done, and you have a nice mailing list.
• The rest belongs to the formalities: how best to set up email marketing campaigns, how to message people, etc.

Cost per lead in email marketing

Lead prices that come this way tend to zero. In our test, around 0.5% of all those addressed became interested parties, i.e., leads. So, let’s calculate:

• 5,000 addresses per month
• 0.5% conversion rate
• The cost of apollo is 19 euros
• Workload approx. 3-4 hours per month
• 19 euros divided by 25 are 0.76 euros per warm lead!

With Google Ads, how much do you currently pay per lead? Exactly …. With ads, we pay a hundred times of that per lead.

This calculation applies at least to our industry. Of course, if you build reactors for nuclear power plants, then you get different numbers .

All in all, email marketing is an old, much hated, legally dubious lead generation strategy that still works amazingly well and generates cheap B2B leads.

Inexpensive B2B leads through website visitor recognition

Website visitor recognition technology and solutions have been around for many years. Strangely enough, there are still many marketing professionals who have never heard of this possibility. If you are one of them, you are now enlightened. Yes, you can and are allowed to see which companies have visited your website. And yes, it is very helpful for your marketing and sales teams.

There are four types of marketers who are new to website visitor detection:

1. The already mentioned ignorant ones (from now on ignorance is no longer an excuse)
2. The GDPR fanatics; Without understanding what the GDPR regulates or prohibits, this group is generally against anything to do with data or tracking. Exception (what a paradox): Google Analytics. This tool continues to be used diligently.
3. Those who cannot pay 29 euros per month.
4. The ones who “want to but can’t” because they don’t have traffic.

There is another bonus group: those who want to recreate the tool themselves. What can go wrong here…

Everyone else should already be familiar with the wonderful lead multiplication engine called Leadrebel (as well as other website visitor detection tools).

Benefits of Website Visitor Identification

The above techniques, especially search engine optimization, have provided you with reach and traffic, and in some cases free B2B leads. The website visitor recognition builds on this. Now you can see who actually visited your website after all your efforts and act accordingly. Here is a brief overview of how you can use LeadRebel to generate cheap B2B leads:

1. You can see which companies have visited your website
2. You will see the corresponding contact details of these companies
3. You can use an employee search function to find the relevant contact persons in the respective company
4. You can export the leads to any CRM and marketing tool

From here the sales start. You probably know the best way to engage with leads, and a lot has been written about it on our blog as well.

Website visitor identification cost per lead

The lead costs are also in the cent range here. In the standard package of LeadRebel (89 euros per month) you receive up to 900 potential leads per month. Let’s say only 300 leads are recognized and classified as eligible. If you divide 89 euros per month by 300, you get about 30 cents per lead. That means:

You pay 30 cents per interested company, i.e., for a lead including all company information and the references to it, including which product or service the company is interested in. In addition, these 30 cents (just an example, it can be less) also contain information about potential contacts.

The workload on your part when using LeadRebel is mainly in the analysis of daily visitors and the selection of interesting companies. This can take a few minutes to an hour a day.

Free B2B leads through partnerships

The fourth and potentially most important way to get free leads is by partnering with other companies. For us, this technique is one of the most important drivers of leads, although we still have a lot to learn here.

The importance of partnership is self-explanatory: a partner company sells your product and gets something in return. Often it is about the commission. But there are other reasons too. such as for example, many of our partners work as SaaS consultants in the B2B sector and would like to offer their own customers better SaaS products. And this is where we come in. For many, the commission is irrelevant.

What to look out for in partnerships

By building a large partner network, you can generate an additional channel for free B2B leads. However, there are certain points you should pay attention to:

• Partner search and onboarding is time consuming.
• This is almost a separate business area, in which you either invest a lot of time yourself or must designate employees for it.
• In return, leads can be generated quickly in this way. Unlike SEO, you don’t have to wait for your actions to take effect. Sometimes it is enough to find a big partner and the new customers come.
• The more partners, the less time for each individual partner. Partner support plays an important role and that takes time. If you have too many partners and you cannot look after each one individually, this can lead to the low quality of the partner-network.
• The partners tend to “fall asleep”, i. H. At first, they are hooked, but over time interest has waned, especially when all the partner company’s customers are already provided with your solution.
• The leads that come from this pipeline are only free before acquisition. A commission bill follows, and this can account for a good chunk of your margin.
• The leads from the partnership pipeline are less reliable than from other pipelines. It could be 20 leads one month, 5 the next. It’s hard to control the number.

Generating Free B2B Leads: Conclusion

B2B leads don’t always have to cost money. There are many ways to get free B2B leads. I have listed four of them in this article. But there are many more options! But as everywhere, the same applies here: You either pay with money or with your time!

Image source: https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2020/02/12/tipps-leads-kaeufer/

The post Generate Free B2B Leads: Four Ways to Get Free B2B Leads appeared first on Leadrebel Blog.

Since May 25, 2018, all companies are obliged to comply with the new EU data protection guidelines, also known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It regulates the processing and use of personal data. Violations can result in high fines. GDPR-compliant sales software is therefore fundamental. In this article, you will learn what is necessary to work in compliance with the GDPR and find a list of 10 GDPR compliant sales software products.

Why the GDPR is relevant for your company

The overarching goal of the European General Data Protection Regulation is to strengthen the right to informational self-determination. It applies to all companies and public bodies within the EU that store and process personal data. Companies outside the EU that offer their products or services to EU citizens and collect their data are also obliged to comply with the GDPR.

Since personal data is processed for almost every business transaction in sales, marketing or service, every company is also obliged to comply with the GDPR. The collection and processing of personal data is particularly necessary for sales software that is used to acquire new customers and improve customer relationships. After all, personal data is required to contact the right contact person using the right communication channel. The processing of an order alone is based on personal data. The use of a GDPR-compliant CRM or software system is therefore elementary.

What is personal data?

Personal data includes all information in the private and business environment that relates to an identifiable natural person.

These include:

• First and Last Name
• Address
• Phone number
• IP address (from private website visitors)
• E-mail address
• Contact details of the contact persons of customers or suppliers
• Contact details of newsletter recipients

Specifications for GDPR-compliant sales software

GDPR-compliant sales software supports your company in the management of personal data and guarantees your customers security and the protection of their rights. For the GDPR to allow the use and processing of personal data at all, there must be a legal basis for it. For example, personal data is required to process a contract. There is also a legal basis if the personal data must be collected to comply with the law or if the person concerned has given their consent to the use of the data.

Even if there is a legal basis, the personal data may only be used for the original purpose (purpose limitation). Only as much data may be collected as is necessary for the specific purpose (data minimization). Furthermore, all personal data should be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed for the original purpose (storage limitation). The legal retention period is ten years. If the data recorded by customers, suppliers or employees is incomplete or incorrect, it must be corrected immediately (accuracy). In addition, personal data must be protected against loss, falsification, and access by unauthorized persons (data security).

Required functionalities for GDPR compliance of the sales software:

• Right to information: At the request of a customer, it must be possible to clearly show which data has been stored and for what purpose.
• Right to erasure: Unless another law requires the storage of personal data, it must be possible for all data to be erased as soon as the data subject so requests.
• Logging: Who and when recorded, deleted, or changed data must be always recorded.
• Obligation to provide evidence: Consent to the use of personal data must be documented in writing.
• Data economy: Software must have a deletion concept so that data is only stored for the necessary duration.
• Data portability: it must be possible to provide personal data in a commonly used format upon request.
• Right to restriction of processing: Personal data may only be processed automatically with specific consent.
• Right to object: Anyone can object to the processing of personal data. This right must be pointed out in the very first communication.
• If an objection is filed, all personal data must be inactive in the sales software and may no longer be processed automatically.
• Access Control: Functions to be able to view and export data must be protected. Access rights may only be granted to authorized persons.
• Data storage: Data must be stored within the EU.

10 Software for Selling with GDPR Compliance

1CRM

The sales software from 1CRM ensures compliance with the EU GDPR through new functions. Personal data can, for example, be prepared for the right to information, data can be changed and deleted. 1CRM provides detailed instructions on the website. The server location is in Germany. The CRM system can also be hosted on your own server.

SuperOffice

https://www.superoffice.de/funktions/dsgvo/

SuperOffice’s B2B specialists offer special features to comply with GDPR regulations. When the consent is saved, it is documented who recorded it and the communication channel used to give the consent. Data protection violations are immediately displayed for processing and different access permissions can be set. All data is protected by an ISO 27001 certified Information Security Management System.

LeadRebel

https://leadrebel.io/de/dsgvo

LeadRebel is sales software that identifies website visitors and converts them into qualified leads to attract new B2B customers. The software comes from Switzerland and is hosted in Germany. LeadRebel works demonstrably in compliance with data protection regulations. GDPR compliance is regularly checked externally to be able to offer customers the greatest possible security. The functions relevant to data protection include:

• Company related tracking
• Personal data of employees will not be saved
• Gathering data only from open sources
• Encrypted traffic
• Hosted in EU (Germany)
• Data processing agreements with all suppliers

TecArt CRM PRO

https://www.tecart.de/dsgvo-konformant#home

The CRM system of the German company TecArt works according to the modular principle. All data is stored in a data center in Germany. The company promises the highest GDPR compliance and offers numerous functions for a GDPR-compliant way of working.

Falcana

Falcana’s sales software is designed for small and medium-sized companies. It offers general data protection functions such as deleting addresses, capturing consents, and distributing permissions. In addition, the “Privacy Premium” extension can be activated, which contains many automated functions to ensure compliance with the GDPR in an even more time-saving manner.

Cobra CRM

https://www.cobra.de/crm-und-datenschutz/cobra-crm-geprueft-nach-dsgvo

Cobra CRM promises high standard of GDPR compliance with their software for sales. The sales software offers an extra data protection cockpit, with which the data protection officer should keep an overview. Numerous functions support GDPR compliance. An e-book about cobra CRM and GDPR is available for download on the website.

Combit CRM

https://www.combit.net/crm-software/

The all-in-one sales software is hosted in Germany and can be used via a private cloud. Combit actively supports you in complying with the provisions of the GDPR and documents processes automatically.

Clap

The sales software Weclapp supports compliance with data protection guidelines with various functions. Information about stored personal data can be obtained at any time. The data is stored on servers in Frankfurt am Main. Data transfers are always encrypted.

CentralStationCRM

https://centralstationcrm.de/Haeufige-Fragen-FAQ

With redundant data storage in a high-security data center in southern Germany and encrypted data transmission, CentralStationCRM offers a high level of security.

Pipedrive

https://support.pipedrive.com/de/article/pipedrive-and-gdpr

Pipedrive, one of the world’s most successful CRM providers, also is GDPR-compliant. Third parties are used to ensure lawful data transfer, according to Pipedrive. To meet the data protection guidelines, a data center was set up in Germany.

Conclusion: 10 GDPR-compliant sales software

As a company, it is essential that your sales software works GDPR-compliant. This greatly simplifies your adjustments to the EU General Data Protection Regulation and protects you from violations. More importantly, you will increase your customers’ trust in your company.

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People often ask for Google Analytics alternatives. This has many reasons. Users’ behavior on websites is tracked by web analytics services, allowing website owners to optimize their sites for a better user experience. Google analytics and other such tools are extremely crucial in today’s digitally evolved virtual world. The benefits they offer cannot be denied however, there are data privacy considerations, especially in Europe. In January 2022 Austrian court decided that Google Analytics doesn’t comply with GDPR. More countries might follow.

Besides that, it’s not uncommon for Google to update GA, so menus, metrics, and features may be difficult to locate even if you use it regularly. There have even been cases where data has been deleted without warning. A large amount of GA data is generated by internal users and bots, which can cause your results to be skewed. 

Why do you need Google Analytics alternatives?

Millions of websites track their web traffic with Google Analytics, the most popular web analytics tool. Nonetheless, it’s not the only tool you can use. There are a variety of Google Analytics alternatives available that might even be less intrusive or fit your users’ specific requirements based on their browsing preferences. 

E-commerce and marketing areas are some of the leading industries that have specific Google Analytics alternatives. In some cases, small businesses are catered to or different pricing models are available. Some offer multiple features with specific needs or customized infrastructure. Heat maps and session recordings are available in some models. Following are the leading reasons why you must consider GA alternatives:

Privacy sacrifices

Customers could lose trust if they discover your company uses Google Analytics for advertising purposes, ultimately damaging your reputation. Furthermore, an EU watchdog has ruled that a German company was guilty of an Analytics breach. They have been sending private customer data to the US. This breaks the “Privacy Shield data protection arrangements” that the EU struck with the US in 2020.

This has been a major contributor to the development of similar new tools. European companies have been switching to other platforms due to security concerns. If your business is based in Europe and/or your primary audience is people who live in the EU, you might be looking for an effective analytics tool other than Google Analytics. 

Little to no data ownership

Data collected by Google will be retained and used as long as you use their service. Your information may be retained and used by Google and its subsidiaries according to their Terms of Service. Here’s the list of top-performing tools in Europe that can be the ideal alternative to Google Analytics. They are equally, if not more effective to keep track of user behavior on your website. Offering stats, reports, and so much more, these tools can be the real game-changer for your business enhancement. 

Adobe Analytics

In Adobe’s Experience Cloud suite for enterprises, Adobe Analytics is one of the most popular analytics tools. The platform allows you to mix and match data from any point in the customer journey and analyze it. A variety of reporting options, predictive analytics, and other valuable features are also included. Using this data, the suite creates customized experiences like product recommendations or customized landing pages for sites and campaigns. You can track user behavior and campaign performance data from your website, mobile app, and every other leading device using Adobe Analytics. 

Pricing 

Adobe is known to be a reasonably priced suite – customizable for small, medium, and large businesses. They offer three plans including Adobe Analytics select, prime, and ultimate. You can request a demo from their website and learn more about the rates. 

HubStop

HubSpot is the industry leader when it comes to analytics, marketing, and operations. Hence, HubSpot is the ideal choice for anyone looking for a one-stop solution for their marketing needs. Analytics for site traffic and SEO helps marketers manage their campaigns from creation to sales follow-up. Track your campaign performance and conversions using HubSpot without any security concerns.

Pricing

Their basic plan starts at $45 per month that offers access to some of the best analytics features. Depending on the number of users, HubSpot can cost up to $120 per month for each user. For a team of up to 10 people, you can opt for a one-year plan by paying a minimum of $500. Start by signing up for their 30-day free trial. 

Matomo

Matomo claims to be a Google Analytics alternative that protects your data and addresses your customers’ privacy. It is downloadable and completely free of cost which makes it a reasonable tool for comparatively new and small businesses. Experience exclusive features such as full tracking information including language, web pages visited, downloads, keywords used to find your site, and referral search engine. 

Don’t sweat if you are planning to switch, this tool makes it seamless and convenient to use Google Analytics importer. It allows you to import historical data from GA with just a few clicks. 

Pricing

Matomo Cloud costs depend on monthly traffic. The basic on-premise features are free but as your traffic hits increase, the cost for the cloud increases as well. If you are still trying to find the tool that best suits your business needs, opt for the free version to explore all features before making a purchase. A free 21-day trial for Matomo Cloud is available.

Fathom

Consider switching to Fathom if you are not completely satisfied with Google Analytics. It is an open-source tool that offers a simple, comprehensive, easy-to-use, privacy-first website analytics alternative. In addition, the platform is GDPR-compliant, ePrivacy, PECR, CCPA, and COPPA compliant. Some of the most notable features of this tool are Its ability to manage and collect accurate real-time data from all visitors. Using its Adblocker bypassing feature, you can make the whole process smooth and effective. A simple method of blocking IP addresses, countries, and whitelisting domains can help you make tracking, and keeping up with the user behavior, and popular trends much more efficient. 

Pricing 

Their monthly plans start at $14 for 100,000 views per month, however, the rates increase along with the monthly users and website hits. You can pick a plan according to your business needs. Check their official website for more details about pricing plans. Meanwhile, you can sign for their 7-day free trial to explore the tool and determine whether it would be the right pick for you or not. You can cancel your trial at any time you like. 

KISSmetrics

You can consider KISSmetrics as a replacement for Google Analytics if your focus is more on product and marketing analytics. SaaS and E-commerce are the primary industries benefiting  from this tool so if you are looking to enhance your sales or trying to figure out why a certain product in your catalog is doing better than the others, this tool will be able to help. Some of the leading reasons for this tool to be popular among the two above-mentioned industries are its user-friendly dashboard that shows you the drop-offs and the entire customer journey. 

Pricing 

Their starting price is $229 per month and is billed annually, however, it may vary based on which variant you opt for – SaaS or eCommerce. You can request a free demo in case you have certain confusion regarding the functionality of the tool. There is no free trial but you can reach out to their customer support to check if there is any promotion going on. 

Smartlook

User behavior can be tracked on mobile apps, web browsers, and games using Smartlook. They claim to be the only tool that combines qualitative and quantitative insights. It makes the tool easy to adapt to ever-evolving digital trends and teams. Not only do both quantitative and qualitative analytics combine in Smartlook’s toolkit, but it has the capability to work effectively if there is a sudden spike in website visitors. The tool offers many adaptable filters that can be used to focus on specific events, campaigns, web pages, or demographics. Moreover, the software now offers multiple workspaces and a REST API, making it suitable for large enterprises.

Pricing

The most basic plan that offers limited features can be purchased for $39 a month. The price increases as your website traffic increases. They offer a 10-day free trial so you can get familiar with the features and figure out whether or not all your business needs are met through this tool. You may not get access to all the features, however, the basic idea will be delivered. 

Conclusion: Google Analytics Alternatives

Analyzing traffic and planning marketing strategies can be accomplished with Google Analytics. However, it can be substituted for several other tools depending on your needs. The Google Analytics alternatives in Europe listed above are sure to meet your requirements if you’re looking for a user-friendly, cheap, and easy-to-use analytics tool.

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The GDPR, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, has been in force for all EU citizens since 25 May 2018. The two-year implementation period was an intense process for entrepreneurs examining personal data. Lead generation and GDPR is a complex topic and needs lots of attention.

It takes a good compliance strategy if you intend to successfully integrate the new data protection law into your company with impunity. Therefore, it is recommended to continually incorporate the requirements into every business process – including customer acquisition – by GDPR principles.

In this article, you’ll learn how to do it the easy way. Besides, you will receive a compact overview of changes and helpful hands-on tips.

Lead generation and GDPR: Caution when Handling Data

Latest from 25 May 2018, every company – be it a large enterprise or a start-up, a B2B or B2C – must deal with the new EU regulation on the protection of personal data of EU citizens, the General Data Protection Regulation.

Why? 

• The new regulation strengthens the privacy rights of consumers concerning their personal data.
• Personal data are, e.g. the name, birth date, place of birth and residence, employer, religious affiliation, contact data, address, credit card and passport number, IP addresses, location data, cookies. 
• Data protection now applies to the smallest areas; company size does not matter: every business that processes personal data is affected. 

Here is why: 

• The GDPR requires that companies handle personal data transparently and securely at all times. 

Hence, it does not matter where a company is located. Not just companies operating within the EU have to apply the GDPR. All organizations that process data from EU citizens are accountable for them. 

What the Data Protection Regulation Entails

You frequently organize raffles or send emails to people who have not yet registered with your company?

Until now, it was easy to collect and use this data. 

Previously, silence and inaction of customers were considered tacit consent. Thanks to the GDPR, this is no longer the case. 

Still unsure to what extent the GDPR is relevant for you? Put the following questions to yourself: 

• Have you used purchased mailing lists previously?
• Added business card contacts to your mailing lists habitually? 
• Have you ever asked existing customers for recommendations? 

If any of the answers are “yes”, then you should familiarize yourself – in addition to the amendments – with the legal basis of the GDPR. You will find them at the end of this post. 

GDPR in the Context of Customer Acquisition

In this part, we will focus on the practical application of the GDPR for customer acquisition. 

Put simply:

• Every work step involved with customers and suppliers must be re-evaluated in the light of the new data protection regulation.
• Thorough attention must be paid to ensuring that every partner in your company will be informed of their rights when transferring personal data.
• Evidence of this must be provided when required.

This has implicationsfor various areas of your B2B outbound lead generation. The GDPR applies to all types of direct advertising, be it: emails, brochures, catalogs, sales calls, product samples as well as data research and storage. 

How the GDPR is Changing Customer Acquisition

Data collection & obtaining approvals 

Typically, you obtain a person’s consent by using a web form, a link to your privacy policy, and a follow-up email. 

The GDPR enables customers to exercise their right to receive information at any time about the type of data collection, its purpose and intended use. 

Individuals may also request unrestricted information on the purpose and retention period of the storage of their data (see Article 13 and Article 14).

• From the time of capture, you have 30 days to explicitly inform the person of your best practice and to explain your reasons. 

If a person responds to your confirmation and requests that you delete the data, you must do so immediately. 

However, you may still keep some anonymized data so that it will no longer be possible to approach the contact in the future.

Sounds easier than it is.

In some cases, you are obliged by law to retain certain personal data even though this person has asked you to delete his or her data.

In such cases, you need to inform the individual that you are required by law to retain this information. Always state the reasons for this.

You must not send any advertising to this person (unless the person has explicitly agreed).

• Also, in this case, document the person’s consent. Well-documented consent is the foundation for your compliance with the GDPR.

Data Processing under the GDPR

Of course, if a potential customer has agreed to the data processing, you want to utilize the data. In light of the GDPR, this means that you must check the processing of these data.

Example: A potential customer calls your company and asks for a free version of your software. You then send him some emails to help him get started.

This is no longer permitted since May 2018. You will risk a fine for doing so.

In this way, you avoid fines:

• Inform the prospect that you have saved his or her email address.
• Make sure that the person concerned actively agrees or subscribes to a mailing list.
• After a phone call, send a follow-up email. You will find more details in the following section.

Pitfalls: How Exactly Does Customer Acquisition Change with the GDPR?

In 2017, the Data Protection Conference, the independent data protection authority of the federal government, confirmed in a short paper that direct advertising is only possible if the addressee agrees to the measures.

Once you have obtained this consent, you can safely start the acquisition process. Without this consent, however, your hands are tied.

For most companies, it is common to use the data available to the organization. Direct advertising is, therefore, still permitted in most circumstances. But if you want to be on the safe side, ask your respective business partner to agree to your advertising measures.

• You may want to consult a lawyer to determine whether direct advertising is permitted in an individual case.

When dealing with private consumers, section 7 of the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) still applies. If you want to make telephone calls or send fax, email or SMS advertising, you must obtain the consent of the consumer.

Section 7 (UWG) governs the exceptions to this rule. Your lawyer will assess whether you can use them for your communication.

Email Acquisition in the Age of the GDPR

Under no circumstances should you send automated, unsolicited emails to potential customers.

However, you may send individual emails if there is a legitimate interest. We recommend that you attach a link to your privacy policy to such an email. You should also state the reason why you are contacting the prospect.

Another way to properly acquire emails is to use a “keep me informed” button on the website. You should also use a double opt-in form in your newsletter registration process. Thirdly, there must be traceable records of the agreement.

Any pre-checked boxes or similar procedures that do not require active action by the potential client are not permitted.

• To do: Include checkboxes into your form.

Telephone Acquisition in the Age of GDPR

You may still perform cold calling, as it does notfall under the GDPR.

However: You should explicitly ask for permission before saving the data of an interested party in your system.

• Check on the phone if the potential customer would like to receive your newsletter.
• Immediately email the link to the newsletter subscription (so you meet the double opt-in requirement).
• The mail should mention whyyou called the customer, whatyou agreed to do, and whyyou sent the email.

By doing so, you are protecting yourself from all sides. It is not always easy to document phone calls unless they are recorded. With the procedure mentioned above, however, you can bypass this hurdle.

Some special rules apply to telephone calls in general.

• If you wish to contact a private individual in the future, you must always obtain explicit consent.
• When making sales calls, never suppress your phone number. If you violate this rule, you may be fined up to €10,000.
• If you do not adhere to the overall guidelines, you could be fined up to €300,000.

The situation is different for traders: here, you only need a presumed consent. From experience, it can be assumed that you will receive the permission.

• As you know, in online marketing, you obtain the necessary consent through a double opt-in form.
• You cannot use this procedure for telephone advertising.

Why?

This method cannot ensure that the owner of the telephone number and the email addressee are the same person. A scammer could give you a phone number that belongs to another person.

Networking: Lead Generation under the GDPR

Those who sell go to trade fairs and events. There, the ambitious salesman collects business cards and contact data. Previously, it was hassle-free to add the collected contact data to the mailing lists and start advertising.

This is no longer permitted under the GDPR.

What you’re allowed to do:

To send a targeted email or make a call to an individual contact. The exchange of a business card is a legitimate interest in maintaining contact.

It’s going to be difficult here:

Suppose a friend of yours asks you to contact another entrepreneur because he needs your help. In the age of the GDPR, you can no longer contact this person by telephone acquisition, but only when you have received a written declaration of consent from the potential customer. This must state clearly that you may call him for advertising purposes.

Contact via Social Media

If you have acquired customers and recruited staff through LinkedIn so far, you may continue to do so. The GDPR does not prevent you from contacting potential customers.

The good news is that LinkedIn and Xing provide you with handy copy and paste templates for all your contact requests. After a successful initial contact, you may obtain consent for sending a newsletter and maintaining communication.

Please be careful: In case of doubt, you must be able to prove that you have received this permission from the potential customer. As in all other cases, “documentation” is key.

What Happens to the Data that You Have Already Collected?

The GDPR contains the “right to forget“. If a customer requests it, every company is obliged to delete already stored data.

• Make sure that you make it easy for the customer to unsubscribe from your newsletters.

• Under the GDPR, your contacts may request a copy of any personal data you have stored about them.

At any time, they may request you to correct or delete this information.

It is best to set up a procedure with which you can automatically meet such demands.

Interim Conclusion: Lead Generation and GDPR

If you still want to win new customers, remember the following checklist:

Private individuals: For fax, email, telephone and SMS advertising, prior consent is required. The legal basis has, therefore, not changed.

Companies: in this case, the presumed consent, according to Article 6 GDPR, is sufficient.

Email and online marketing: Protect yourself with a double opt-in form. Every email program offers this procedure.

Phone-advertising: Obtain express permission to store the data of a private person. Commercial calls are based on “legitimate interest”.

Section 7 (UWG) includes exceptions to this rule, and if an existing customer has given you consent through an earlier purchase, you may also promote similar products.

Lead generation and GDPR Best Practice: How to Avoid Violations of Data Protection Laws

Are there any situations in which you can waive a consent?

Suppose you want to send your new brochure to an existing customer. Because the customer is already in your database, you assume that the customer agrees.

Remember: In principle, nothing works without consent in matters of direct advertising.

However, the situation is slightly different for existing customers: As an entrepreneur, you may continue to offer him similar services and goods without having to obtain additional consent.

Practice shows, though, that the courts handle this exception rigorously. Hence, we recommend that you contact a lawyer in case of doubt to clarify the matter.

Correct training, avoid mistakes

Think about how you can train your sales staff to rule out legal violations. If in doubt, seek expert advice and organize in-company training.

The GDPR is founded on these legal principles

The following laws still govern direct promotional activities via telephone and email advertising:

• German Civil Code (BGB)
• Telecommunications Act (TKG)
• Unfair Competition Act (UWG)
• Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG)
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Here you will find an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR. They are divided into six areas that you should know.

Legal basis of the GDPR:

1. Legal obligations and compliance with statutory regulations
2. Agreements
3. (Vital) interests
4. Acting in the public interest or under official authority
5. Legitimate interests
6. Consent of data subjects

1. Legal obligations and compliance with statutory regulations

The strictest, most accurate and ideal legal basis for the processing of the data controller is the existence of at least one lawful provision (Article 6(1)).

We can name many examples of this legal basis: 

• Employment records
• Accident reports for patient records 
• Health and safety records
• Etc.

2. Lead generation and GDPR : Agreements

One example is the processing of credit card information so that the customer can make a payment.

If, e.g. your customer requests service or product information by email or via social network, processing that customer’s personal information is permitted in order to answer her question.

3. (Vital) interests

“Vital interests” only refer to situations involving life-threatening emergencies. This category includes emergency services that receive a list of names and ages based on an emergency call.

It is permissible to process these data if a person is in critical condition. You can extend this requirement to affiliated persons, such as children or parents.

4. Acting in the public interest or under official authority

Example: the electoral register of a political party. This subsection covers that a party may be permitted to maintain a copy of the data.

5. Lead generation and GDPR : Legitimate interests

These cases are less clear. Legitimate interests allow you to develop a legal basis if you cannot identify the categories.

This includes procedures designed to prevent fraud and involving the transfer of data to other companies or entities of the contractor. Such is the case where there is a central body for internal administrative purposes. This case applies to customers or employees.

Based on this justification, you can process data without having to obtain the consent of the data subject. However, this only applies in situations where you do not endanger the rights, freedoms or interests of the data subject because it is in your interest.

To compare these potentially conflicting interests, you need to perform an “evaluation test”.

6. Consent of data subjects

This legal basis must always reflect the interest of the data subject:

Consumer consent is a prerequisite. As the data controller, you must prove that you have been permitted to process the data. You must record this.

This legal basis is particularly important for customer acquisition under the GDPR because it covers the collection of a person’s contact data for marketing purposes, such as email newsletters.

The GDPR stipulates the circumstances under which this permit is valid and how it can be administered. Besides, the person concerned is allowed to withdraw this consent at any time and without considerable effort.

Interim conclusion:

For each of the six basic principles, a legally sound and transparently communicated processing standard is compulsory.

7. Short FAQ on GDPR

Lead generation and GDPR : What about cookies?

According to the GDPR, you must inform your website visitors that you use cookies. Make sure that you use the language your users understand. You could, for example, place different banners for two languages at different places on your website.

Point out that you record the surfing behavior with cookies. Users must give their consent to it.

Is cold calling still allowed?

In many cases, cold calling is still possible. It is crucial that you obtain the express permission of the persons concerned. If you do not have this consent for data storage, telephone acquisition is not permitted

Do other laws expire due to the GDPR?

In advertising, sanctions of the GDPR prevent the application of parts of the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). However, most of the previous sections of earlier legislation are still valid.

How do I handle social media?

For the end-user of social media platforms, nothing changes at the moment. Platform providers themselves must, however, update their terms of use and actively request consents.

Lead generation and GDPR: What if a contract already exists. Can I just contact the customer? 

The tying of measures is illegal. You are not permitted to conclude a joint contract with permission for data processing. In this way, you would force the consent of your contracting partner. The prohibition of tying shall revoke any consent.

Can I send new advertising materials to an existing customer?

If your current customers already appreciate your advertising efforts, you may continue to send them materials about similar products and services. Make sure, however, that your advertising complies with the GDPR. 

What does the GDPR mean for picture material?

By operation of law, nothing has changed significantly as a result of the GDPR. As before, you always need the prior consent of the person you are photographing.

Photos and videos that you want to use for private purposes do not represent an obstacle.

However, we advise Instagrammer, YouTuber and bloggers who photograph strangers to be more cautious here in the future.

Those who want to be sure always obtain the permission of the persons concerned.

Conclusion: Lead generation and GDPR

Latest since 25 May 2018, the GDPR requires a new approach to data protection. The GDPR intends to encourage companies to only contact individuals who wish to have an explicit relationship with your company.

No longer may you assume that you have permission to send campaigns simply because you have discovered an email address.

This must be done before each new data entry:

• Phrase each request for consent unequivocally.
• Explain explicitly how you will use customer data and how long it will be stored.
• Define a process.

Opt-in procedures and subscription management tools are readily available, providing you assistance.

These changes are not popular with all companies. Small companies, in particular, fear of legal consequences. The GDPR is merely concerned with protecting consumer data and giving more weight to European fundamental data protection rights. Companies making money with user data need to protect it and manage it properly. To do so, the customer’s consent is required. Those who fail will be severely penalized and held accountable.

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gdpr_Europe.jpg

Disclaimer: This article is only for non-binding information purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

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