{"id":401,"date":"2023-07-25T14:20:06","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T12:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.usercentrics.com\/?post_type=knowledge&p=31444"},"modified":"2025-06-26T13:55:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:55:53","slug":"how-does-gdpr-affect-b2b-sales","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/usercentrics-poc.psapp.dev\/us\/knowledge-hub\/how-does-gdpr-affect-b2b-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"How does the GDPR affect B2B sales?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is GDPR?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data protection regulation that came into effect on May 25, 2018 and affects businesses and organizations operating in EU member states as well as in the European Economic Area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compliance with data privacy regulations like the GDPR can be as beneficial for B2B relationships as for B2C ones. Building trust, demonstrating respect for privacy, and doing business with attention to detail and customers\u2019 and partners\u2019 best interests is always a competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the GDPR protect?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The primary goal of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)<\/a> is to protect EU residents\u2019 personal data and provide them with greater control over it. The GDPR is extraterritorial, which means that it applies to any organization that processes the personal data of EU residents, regardless of the geographic location of the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regulation applies to the collection and use of personal data, for example via websites, mobile apps, and other properties. It applies to companies doing business with other companies and with consumers. Does the GDPR protect B2B data? Absolutely. Organizations must protect and compliantly handle personal data, no matter what the commercial basis of the business relationship is or what the data is used for.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Read about GDPR email marketing<\/a> now.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Who needs to be concerned about GDPR and B2B sales?<\/h2>\n\n\n

In many cases, the GDPR requires organizations to appoint a data protection officer, or DPO, (Art. 38<\/a>). It is that person\u2019s responsibility to oversee and ensure compliance with relevant data privacy regulations. Overall, compliance is the responsibility of the business or website or application operator if the business collects and\/or processes personal data via that property.<\/p>\n

What are the differences between B2B and B2C for GDPR?<\/h4>\n

Does the GDPR distinguish between B2B and B2C? Not really. The GDPR centers on protecting personal data of EU residents<\/a> but doesn\u2019t distinguish among which residents. The purpose for use and legal basis might be different for a B2B audience, but companies involved in B2B sales and marketing need to meet the same responsibilities under the GDPR as for a B2C audience.<\/p>\n\n\n

How does the GDPR affect B2C marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n

The GDPR has a significant impact on B2C marketing, as many marketing operations make extensive use of consumers\u2019 personal data for communications, personalization, and other activities.<\/p>\n

The need for prior consent is one of the biggest responsibilities that companies engaged in B2C marketing need to meet. So is the need for transparency with consumers about what data companies process, for what purposes, and who may have access to it.<\/p>\n

Companies also need to ensure that they follow GDPR principles, e.g. data minimiziation, transparency, etc., and that their B2C marketing target audience is informed about their GDPR rights and can exercise them at any time. Additionally, it\u2019s important for companies to exercise discretion regarding how much data they collect, for which purposes, and how long they retain it.<\/p>\n\n\n

How do companies comply with the GDPR?<\/h2>\n\n\n

B2B operations and transactions processing personal data can include vendor relationships, like for advertising, or other services or partnerships. It\u2019s important for companies to understand who they are reaching out to, and with what plans and goals.<\/p>\n

In addition to having a legal basis for data processing, companies must do the same things they would for a consumer audience: provide clear notifications about data collection and use, securely store and manage data, maintain records of processing activities, conduct data protection impact assessments (DPIA) and appoint a data protection officer where applicable.<\/p>\n

What are B2B best practices to comply with GDPR?<\/h4>\n

Companies can take additional steps to ensure the most care in respecting and protecting personal data:<\/p>\n