Selling is caught in the Act
On 5th September 2007 the New Zealand Anti Spam Law called the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 comes into force and currently there is no code of conduct or official practical guide to assist us (yet). Fortunately we have access to reliable legal advice on the interpretation of this new law and where it impacts on the delivery of commercially oriented messages sent via email and txt.
Our law is tougher than the American and Australian equivalent. Marketers in America can sent commercial emails until the recipient opts-out. Under the New Zealand Act the sender of commercial electronic messages must have consent of the recipient before the commercial message is sent. So this means we need to radically change the way we currently communicate via email and TXT with commercial messages and it pays to get into the habit before 5th September 2007.
Email is a cost effective marketing channel that is extensively utilised by businesses and individuals as an initial means of establishing customer relationships. Often our associates, friends, family and colleagues recommend prospective customers to us and suggest sending an email as a first point of contact. Introducing our services and maybe providing a link to our website in an introductory email has been considered a ‘soft sell’ approach up to now. However when the Act comes into force this approach will no longer be considered legal and prior consent must be given and recorded before you can send your introductory email.
Our sales people and marketers will find it difficult to replace this approach to introducing their services especially as this strategy has been widely employed as a result of the difficulty in getting in contact with people via the telephone. Hopefully this clause in the Act will be revised to enable our New Zealand Sales teams to operate effectively using 21st century technology – however until then we must comply to all the clauses in the Act.
Anti Spam Compliance Solutions For You & Your Business
To see how we can help you and your business comply with the NZ Anti-SPAM Act click here
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