Use SMS for Amazing Customer Communication!
It’s
interesting how communication methods evolve, especially when it comes to
business and customer interactions.
Just
a few short years ago, most people would have considered SMS to be off-limits
for contacting clients. But now, expectations have changed, and text messaging
has become an entirely valid way of reaching out…
And
it literally is a game changer.
Having
the liberty to communicate through SMS opens up many doors that were once
closed. If you’re not currently using text messaging, try the following methods
for a vastly improved experience:
Appointment Confirmation and Reminders
Do
you remember getting calls to confirm your dentist appointments from an actual
person?
Imagine
how much time was wasted on these calls - both yours and the person making the
call. And just think how many of those appointments were still missed.
Well,
with SMS, those days are gone.
A text message confirmation or reminder gives
your clients VISIBLE confirmation that’s easy to look up and reduces costly no-shows.
The
best part about SMS appointment confirmations and reminders is that they can be
entirely automated - platforms like GoHighLevel even make it possible for your customers to
book an appointment online and get notifications without you lifting a finger.
But
text messaging isn’t only for your existing customers…
Promotional Offers and Sales Funnels
You
can also use SMS to alert potential customers of promotions for products or
services they’ve already shown an interest in or for new offers, such as:
●
Flash sales for subscribers
●
Contests
●
Limited
●
A product launch
●
An upcoming event
With
the right CRM program, you can even develop automated sales funnels and track
clickthrough rates to show you how your promotions are performing. Integrating
SMS into your sales funnels expands your communication options and increases
customer response.
However,
it’s important to keep your marketing SMS messages limited as sending too many
can risk a receiver asking to be taken off your list. A general rule for
promotional texts is a maximum of one per week to avoid brand burnout.
Non-Invasive Instant Communication
While
appointment notifications and promotional offers are great ways to use SMS, the
true power of texting is found in your ability to have non-invasive, instant
communication.
Think
about a potential customer that’s browsing around your website and has a
question. They may not want to call your business to have a conversation or
send an email, but if you have an SMS option integrated, they can quickly send
you their query with minimal effort.
And
it gives you the freedom to answer on
your own time.
Many
businesses use an automated reply letting the visitor know the question has
been received and that an answer will be sent soon.
The SMS Era
With
smartphones becoming more and more the preferred way to interact with
businesses, the transition to SMS communication is only natural and early
adopters are already seeing how well it serves many different purposes.
Reducing friction is a major part of effective business-customer communication and SMS has proven that it’s a smooth and elegant solution to an age-old problem.