About This Episode

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Data privacy and protections are changing every day.

For the sales profession, this means significant changes in the way we engage with prospects.

From collecting and storing data to cold calls and blanket emails, we’re going to have to learn new approaches of creating connection and become more on quality over quantity.

On today’s episode of The Sales Engagement Podcast, we spoke with Australian-born Daniel Barber, CEO at DataGrail, who is helping sales and marketing teams the world over become compliant with their collection and storage of consumer data in the face of changing regulations.

Dan talks to us about how businesses have already been affected in the EU and what changes we can expect to see in the USA in the very near future and why these changes are less scary than they seem.

Here are the highlights of our chat with Daniel.

Data Privacy Legislation Is Bringing Tighter Rules And Heavier Consequences

Less than a month ago, a formal investigation was launched into Facebook’s recent data breach, which could end up costing the social network $1.6 billion in fines due to its violations of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDRP).

In the US, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 is the start of similar legislation to ensure businesses are taking consumer data protection seriously.

It requires that businesses disclose how they obtained consumers’ data, what data is being stored, and the intent of use of data.

For the B2B sphere, this means needing to know all these details for every customer in your CRM or Outreach directory.

And while this particular bill doesn’t go into effect until 2020, it’s sure to be the first of a nationwide rollout of such security measures, which means your sales and marketing teams need to start preparing now.

How SDR’s Can Best Engage With Prospects

As an SDR, in order to be compliant, your pool of prospects is going to shrink significantly as many of these types of regulations will require consumers to opt-in to be marketed to before you can store their data.

It’s intimidating, but it’s also an opportunity to start thinking really strategically about how to engage with prospects who already show a genuine interest in your product.

Think about how you’re engaging today. What kind of blanket emails are you sending that don’t have any personal touchpoints?

It’s an opportunity to be creative, invest time in your prospects, and engage with them on a personal level.

That personal touch is ultimately better for business.

What Legitimate Interest Means And How To Use It

Legitimate interest is a “gray area” where you can collect data from people who are either searching for your product or service online or actively viewing your website.

Your marketing team should be feeding you a buyer intent domain list (that is, the domains of the legitimate interest buyers), then it’s your job to spend time finding who within that organization is your best contact.

Invest into understanding your potential customers.

You still need to disclose how you got their contact and your intent of use, so Daniel suggested a simple email you can send to reach out in these instances:

“I found your contact on LinkedIn after we saw someone from your organization was searching on our website, and that prompted me to reach out today.”

It’s personalized and compliant.

With all these changes and restrictions, sales will only work with a personal touch and getting back to old-school sales basics.

The goal is data transparency. While regulations might seem scary at first, they’re actually protecting you as an individual, too.

This post is based on a podcast interview with Daniel Barber from DataGrail. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast.

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