6 Ways TCPA Data Privacy Compliance Can Improve Lead Quality

TCPA compliance means better lead quality

There are two ways to look at TCPA compliance. TCPA compliance can be perceived as a problem because it creates unnecessary red tape. However, TCPA compliance helps eliminate unfair practices and improves lead quality, which is a positive. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the regulatory code for TCPA compliance.

TCPA governs how companies communicate with consumers via text messages, office phone systems, calls to mobile devices, and prerecorded messages to landlines. When using software that contains any form of automated telephone dialing system, you must take TCPA seriously. There are precise rules when communicating commercial messages that your marketing team has to consider to remain compliant. Since October 2013, commercial messaging requires the recipient’s “express written consent.” In other words, your website visitors and prospects need to put it in writing that you are approved to contact them via phone or text.

For online marketers capturing consumer contact data through landing pages, this creates a need for solutions that enable both lead sales organizations and lead buyers to receive TCPA-certified leads. Compliant leads are obtained via websites, web forms, or third-party lead capture forms according to TCPA compliance rules.

Here are six ways you to take control of TCPA compliance and use it as an advantage to provide higher quality leads.

1. Providing the correct wording

Use TCPA-compliant text on landing pages and websites.  Even if you don’t use a software solution, adding this text to the submission part of your landing page or website is easy. This is a must.

Here is a sample: By providing <Your Company > with my cell phone number, I agree that <Your Company> may contact me on that number using an automated telephone dialing system. I understand that providing my cell phone number is not required to purchase <Your Company> services and that I may rescind this permission at any time.

2. Making sure consent is given and then stored

Consent must be provided and stored, and you need to collect consumer intent before your sales team calls a prospect.  You also need to specify that an automated dialing solution can contact a consumer. If you collect this information and store it in your database, you must prove that the consumer requested to be called.  Do you have this information stored in a database?

3. Capturing analytic data supports the request

The burden of proof lies with you and your company.  Capturing time on site, pages visited, IP address and express consent confirmation provides that proof.  You need to match the contact information with the analytic information so that there is sufficient evidence of the consumer providing permission to contact them.

4. Verifying consumer consent

Another best practice is capturing the location of the IP address to reduce fraudulent submissions and ensuring the specified consumer did, in fact, submit their information. If a consumer claims, “I never filled out the form,” the IP address and analytic information make the case that they did indeed visit your site, request to be called, and you have an IP address to verify this.

5. Documenting consent for any potential audits

Can you easily print or download documents that contain consumer location, consent, IP address, time on site, and other data?  You will need this to show that consent was provided and verification is being stored in a secure location.

6. Making sales team operations efficient

You have effectively created a more qualified lead by following the first five steps.  The potential customer has provided express consent and interest in your company, product, or service.  You now have a prospect that has supplied a mobile number and consent to be called. Salespeople love qualified leads, and while implementing the above steps sounds tedious, there are tangible rewards.  Improving lead quality is always a win for the sales team.

TCPA compliance means better quality leads

Ultimately, a positive outlook can help you think about data security privacy compliance in a way that is all about lead quality. Better lead quality leads to improved sales performance and reduced CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) for your leads. Better lead quality can also mean increased overall sales efficiency by ensuring time and money are not wasted chasing down poor-quality leads.

See also: lead distribution software for TCPA compliance.