What’s the ethical way to “opt-in” post-conversation?

Ethical post-conversation opt-in requires clarity, not assumption.

How to ask:

Direct question: Would you like to receive occasional updates from us?

Explain what: We share monthly industry insights and product updates

Make declining easy: No problem if not, and easy to unsubscribe anytime

Don't pressure: Separate from sales conversation when possible

What makes opt-in ethical:

Freely given: No pressure or bundling with other decisions

Specific: Clear about what they're subscribing to

Informed: They understand frequency and content type

Unambiguous: Clear yes, not silence or ambiguity

What makes opt-in problematic:

Adding automatically after conversation

Assuming silence means yes

Burying subscription in terms

Making decline difficult or awkward

Pre-checking subscription boxes

Documentation:

Record when and how consent was given

Note the conversation context

Distinguish from cold data in your systems

Maintain audit trail for compliance questions