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.