Whether you like them or not, telemarketers are here for the foreseeable future. They will, however, need to adhere to some new rules with the implementation of the Protection Of Personal Information (POPI) Act 4 of 2013.
The same goes for real estate agents. Let us explain:
Telemarketing:
You can use direct marketing strategies (e-mails, messages and direct phone calls) on your existing clients. You may only use these clients to sell a product or service which is similar to those they previously bought, and the client has the full right to request to terminate all communication with you at any time.
Although it is technically true that if a person puts their number on a website or social media page, they publicised this information and is open to the public for use, you cannot use this number for a sales call. Only people who are previous clients can receive calls, and spamming or cold-calling is not allowed anymore.
POPI will also ensure that nobody receives automated calls anymore, as your number will stay safely encrypted in all the systems you give permission to.
You are not allowed to call someone more than once, and if they decide that they do not want to do business with you or that they don’t want to receive calls in the future, they can just simply decide to ‘opt-out’, where after you are not allowed to contact them again. So, you have to keep a good record of who you may contact and not, and you can’t buy databases from other parties anymore as it goes against the POPI Act.
Real estate:
Personal information has always been a determining factor when dealing in real estate. The agent gathers quite a lot of information about the client and that means that agents and conveyors will have to be very careful how they receive and protect data from clients.
Sensitive information to complete documentation like lease agreements, FICA compliance, mortgages and so on, is entrusted to you as an agent or conveyor and the POPI Act promises that you will keep it safe for them.
This means that agents can’t even disclose the smallest information to sellers or homeowners without the required documentation in place and permissions granted.
Marketing in the real estate industry will also have to adapt to new rules. Now, the client has the right to kindly decline that newsletter you so willingly send out every week. The most important thing to remember here is that this policy always ensures that the individual whose information you are dealing with is fully aware of the circulation it undergoes.
If POPI is adhered to, the client will feel safer to entrust their personal information with you and your relationship will surely reap the benefits.
Make sure to read our next story about POPI and how you can ensure that your business is safe and POPI compliant.
If you’d like to know more and get the easiest solution for your business to comply with POPI, fill in the form below:
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