Now don't get me wrong with the title of this article. I do think that the data you collect on your customers can be eye-opening and enlightening. However, too many companies have a tendency to not look at the anecdotal data because it is considered more an opinion than an absolute.

However, I find that sometimes by engaging your customers with a friendly conversation, you can find out mountains of meaningful information that you might not get otherwise. Also, you can better interpret your hardcore analytical data and perhaps make some valid assumptions about your customers' buying behaviors.

So how easy is it to gather anecdotal data? Well, start at a trade show, where you have a captive audience. Here are a few tips to help you engage your customers at your exhibit booth.

Most of you may already be GDPR compliant but for some of my smaller clients, I found this great article on the Social Media Examiner blog that succinctly explains the new European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which took effect on May 25, 2018.

If you market to, collect data, or otherwise engage with EU customers, you'll need to know about the new protection regulations that the EU has already put into place regarding how an individual's personal information is collected, stored, and used.

You may not think that you need to be GDPR compliant, but be forewarned that if you are not compliant, your company could face large fines depending upon the infraction. The article link is shown below. They provide a great overview to the principles of the GDPR. Enjoy!