DATA…
You’ve heard this one before…
And you may or may not always have the right answer for this question.
Here’s the rub, though: for many years you’ve been accessing public domain data for cold calling, emailing, and SMSing…
And you’ve built a lot of your business around this data.
But times are changing…and they’re changing rapidly.
Come mid-2021 South Africa will join the rest of the Western World in enforcing its own data laws: POPI…
And while you may think you know what it entails, and what will be required from you when accessing and using data to canvass or communicate with your database, one of the questions you’ll have to have an answer for when a lead calls or smses or emails you is: “Where did you get my data?”
The truth is you don’t always know and as time passes, you may not remember if you got it from a data supplier, an opted-in SMS, a show house, Facebook, your website form or in the middle of one of your shopping excursions.
But if you want to stay on the right side of POPI, you’ll need to be able to answer (and show) the source of your data.
But how do you do that if all you have is a list or names and contact details on an Excel spreadsheet? And just having “Facebook”, or “Show house” or “Spar” is not going to cut it.
You’ll need a more sophisticated system to track and store source data…meaning the real source…with their opted in action and date-stamp.
Your CRM may or may not have this functionality…and if it doesn’t you should be asking why not?
We are all responsible for and will be held accountable for the data we store, access and use to run our businesses.
Getting opt-ins now – before mid 2021 – is going to stand you in better stead when everyone else is scampering for consent.
So why not start organising and collecting opt-ins now (if you don’t have this already)?
How?
It’s simple: create a landing page, an online form, and if your leads opt in, store this data inside a CRM or database management system that shows their consent and their source.
This should be a priority now before the rest of your colleagues (not to mention the rest of the practitioners in every other business vertical) start asking for opt ins from their databases (databases you share with them, by the way).
Another way to ensure you don’t get the unsubscribe chop when POPI bites…
To always remain in your database’s good graces…
And to ensure you remain top of mind when their needs match your service offering…?
Simple…communicate regularly with your database.
And if you don’t enjoy writing emails…
If sitting in front of a computer wracking your brain for fresh ideas drains you (instead of rejuvenates you)…
And if building out email journeys is a journey you’d prefer to skip altogether…
The why not get Property Funnels? It comes complete with 22 weeks of done-for-you emails covering topics like home buying, investing, insurance, gardening, legal issues, cooking, entertaining and a whole lot more…
Or “scare” two birds with one stone when you sign up to South Africa’s most content-rich Real Estate CRM, Property Funnels, and get your opt-ins stored by source, URL and keep your new subscribers engaged with:
- 22 weeks of done-for-you emails
- Happy birthday emails
- Happy Property Anniversary emails
- And long-term nurture campaigns for sellers, landlords and buyers.
You really do not need to lose a day a week producing content when it’s already handed to you on a silver platter.
